Masks Of Time
by Brine224
Summary: Post 'The Telling' my way obviously, SV first chapter and IJ soon after
1. Default Chapter

Discliamer: I do not own Alias or any of the characters. They belong to JJ Abrams and Bad Robot. However I have recently made it a habit of borrowing them. I'm still writing Truth Belongs To Everyone. But I couldn't pass up such a wonderful opportunity to be creative. Ends immediately after the end of "The Telling". Enjoy!!!  
  
Masks of Time  
  
Hong Kong- CIA Safe House  
  
Sydney stared in shock at Vaughn. Her mouth opened and closed slightly and her breath hitched in her throat. She was not able to comprehend the passing of two years without her knowledge. She was not able to comprehend two years with out Vaughn.  
  
She was tempted to ask him if he was joking but the torn and tortured look marring his wonderful face said that joking was the furthest thing from his mind.  
  
"Syd," Vaughn's voice was husky and deep. "Do you remember anything from the past two years? Anything at all?"  
  
Still unable to get past the raw feeling tightening in the back of her throat, Sydney shook her head negatively.  
  
"Are you hurt anywhere?" Vaughn began scanning her body for any signs of physical pain.  
  
Sydney gawked at such a question. She hurt from the inside out. There were no physical lesions or wounds, that would have been easier to deal with. Instead she was faced with a life that was spinning completely off its axes. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to grasp the infinitesimal amount of sanity still within her reach.  
  
Vaughn reached out with his left arm to touch her, in hopes of assuring her presence in his mind. When the cool metal of the band he wore around his finger made contact with Sydney's arm she shuddered. There was a bizarre feeling of being frozen and burned at the same time. The contrast was the force able to break her of her spell and speak.  
  
"You haven't answered my question." Her tone was even and measured.  
  
"Syd, so much has happened since you have been gone. There is so much I have to tell-"  
  
Vaughn was interrupted by Sydney's sudden bolt for the door. "I have to get out of here." Her rushed speech did nothing to calm Vaughn's frayed nerves. He beat her to the door and held it shut with his arm.  
  
"Sydney, you can't just leave. We have to get on a plane back to L.A. in less than an hour. It isn't safe for you to be out wondering the streets of Hong Kong."  
  
"You're patronizing me. I can take care of myself and you obviously don't need to be looking out for me." The bitterness made Sydney shake and she instantly regretted her words. He was right, she didn't know where she had been or who had kept her and without that information it was not safe to be out in Hong Kong alone.  
  
Suddenly Sydney was gripped with the need to get home. To see her father and everything that was familiar. Vaughn was no longer familiar; he had another life, and by his choice of words most likely another job.  
  
"Vaughn, I want to go home." Sydney looked up at the man she loved. Vaughn saw the weariness and pain etched in her face. He grabbed her tight to him and whispered.  
  
"Come on. Let's get out of here." He held Sydney close against his side as they made their way out of the building and into the car parked out front. For a moment in time Sydney believed that no time had passed at all and Michael Vaughn and she were on their way to Santa Barbara and then the ring he wore glinted in the dimming street light.  
  
CIA Jet- Over Pacific Ocean  
  
Sydney had remained quiet as they boarded the plane. She was still trying to get her mind caught up with the shift in time. She wasn't sure what to say to Vaughn or what questions to ask. He hadn't offered any more information and she was reluctant to broche the subject looming over her head.  
  
"Can you give me a little information on the past two years so I'm not walking into something that completely resembles the Twilight Zone?" Her meek words were not something one would associated with Sydney Bristow but then most would not associate terrified and helplessness either and she was feeling those in spades.  
  
"I tried to tell you earlier but you weren't ready. I didn't want to push you." Vaughn paused and watched Sydney nod her head in understanding although apprehensively. "When I came to the apartment that night, I found a mess and two bodies. Francie I found first and she was dead, two gunshot wounds directly to the chest. I happened upon Will while I was looking for you. Francie or Allison had run cold water into the bathtub to quell the smell of blood. She had used ice cold water and it served to slow the bleeding of Will's chest wound. I called CIA dispatch immediately when I realized he still had a pulse and then began searching the house for you. But you weren't anywhere to be found. For the next six month the CIA searched for you, there were no leads and Sloane made no contact or moves. By the ninth month Kendall closed the investigation down. Weiss, Dixon and I continued to search but Kendall eventually found out we were using CIA resources to find what he deemed 'a lost cause' and put a stop to it. I couldn't stay with the CIA any more so they offered me the chance to get out." Vaughn paused and starred longingly at Sydney.  
  
"There was nothing for me at the CIA anymore. When I was truly being honest with myself I know I felt as though the CIA had let me down and in turn I had let you down." He instinctively knew Sydney was about to opened her mouth to retort and butted in. "I was still a target making it necessary for me to start over completely if I were to leave." Sydney looked down at his left hand and wondered what starting over completely had entailed for Vaughn.  
  
"It took me a while to finally decide to leave. I was terrified that if you returned you wouldn't know where to find me, but I got assurances from Kendall that if you were ever located that I would be recalled as an acting agent. I finally left seven months ago. I moved out of California to Connecticut. I think Dixon thought, understandingly, that I needed time to grieve and made sure my new persona was listed as a widower." Vaughn held up his left hand and wiggled his fingers.  
  
Sydney glanced up sharply and noticed his movements. "You mean you're not- "  
  
"You didn't give me a chance to explain in Hong Kong and I think I am actually thankful for that. I wanted to be truly alone before I began telling you everything." Vaughn smiled with a closed mouth.  
  
Sydney's smile stretched out across her face as she realized that Vaughn was not lost to her. She got out of her chair and move rapidly toward him, capturing him in a long kiss. He returned the kiss for a while then pulled back. Sydney's smile immediately faded.  
  
"I'm sorry. Two years, you may not be married but I still don't know if you're seeing-" Vaughn silenced her with another kiss seemingly drawing her essence into him.  
  
"Sydney Bristow, you are not an easy person to get over. You could have been gone another twenty or thirty years and I would still be here waiting for you. I always knew in the back of my mind that you weren't dead, I just wasn't able to prove it." He kissed her again this time leaving them both breathless and laughing gently.  
  
"Twenty or thirty years Michael Vaughn, that's it." She asked him smiling.  
  
"Well, maybe a little bit longer." He smiled brilliantly for the first time in two years.  
  
"Oh really, how much longer?" Sydney's coy tone and playfulness so quickly hid the angst and pain of two lost years.  
  
"How does eternity strike you?" Vaughn pulled her even closer and whispered into her ear.  
  
"Wonderfully. I'm sorry for thinking that you had-" He cut her off again.  
  
"Consider it forgotten. You were confused and I didn't exactly send you the right message. I completely forgot to remove the band before I saw you, but I was so preoccupied with the possibility of seeing you again. And the ring has been a kind of link to you for the last few months. Here, Weiss had it engraved for me." Vaughn showed Sydney the inside of the band that had minutes before been the bane of her existence.  
  
Sydney scrutinized the inside and found an S and V beautifully intertwined with the words 'the heart knows no boundaries' beside it. She was so moved, her eyes began to fill with tears. She clung to Vaughn and laughed through her tears to let him know she was indeed okay.  
  
"He is definitely getting some sugar when we get home." Vaughn laughed at Sydney's choice of word and remembered that day so long ago for him.  
  
"Vaughn, before when you were explaining what had occurred in my obvious absence, you didn't mention where my father was." Her voice had once again regained the tentative infliction. She was not comfortable with the look Vaughn was giving her.  
  
"Vaughn, where is my father." She asked again when she met his silence.  
  
"Syd, I- your father is."  
  
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	2. A New Meaning

Same Disclaimer Applies: Thank you for the reviews. Please keep them coming. I am having fun with this story, I hope everyone else is. Enjoy!!!  
  
"Syd, I- your father is no longer with the CIA." Vaughn couldn't meet Sydney's gaze and quickly ducked his head.  
  
"He retired. Did he feel the CIA had let him down as well." The vibe Vaughn was sending made Sydney look for the closest seat. "He isn't dead is he?" The lost little girl had returned, infuriating Sydney. She was not used to feeling so helpless or dependent yet her confidence had been severely shaken.  
  
"No, he isn't dead, or at least not that I know of. Last I heard of your father, he took a seven day leave of absence and did not return. About five months ago there were reports that Jack Bristow had become Arvin Sloane's newest business associate." Vaughn kept his eyes downcast to avoid the hurt he knew he would find in Sydney's.  
  
"That isn't possible. My father would not turn his back on his country, on everything he stood for just because he thought I was gone. He wouldn't do it." Her words were meant to convince her as much as Vaughn.  
  
"I don't know what to tell you Syd. I wish I knew more but the last time I spoke to your father was the day before I left for Connecticut and five days after that he was gone." He had finally raised his head and watched her expression turn from to confusion to disbelief and back again.  
  
"But what if something has happened to my father? What if he sacrificed himself for me? What if Sloane had hurt him or." Sydney trailed off. She refused to believe her father would turn to Sloane and she still had a sinking suspicion that Sloane had a great deal to do with her disappearance.  
  
"I don't have the answers you're searching for Syd, but I will promise to help you find them." Vaughn held her close to him once again, noting their decent into LAX.  
  
Both of them moved to sit side by side for the landing. Despite Sydney's face being partially hidden in Vaughn's neck, he could hear he next question.  
  
"What has happened to my mother in the last two years, if you know anything." Her voice was hopeful that Vaughn would have some information on the older woman.  
  
"For a while after you disappeared there was no action from either your mother or Sloane. The CIA believes they are still working together but it has only been in the past nine months that they have been active in any way." Vaughn informed her.  
  
"About the same time my father supposedly joined them. I don't truly believe he would be able to work on the same side as my mother, let alone Sloane." Sydney sounded breathless, and Vaughn realized she had worked herself up over her father's whereabouts.  
  
"Just relax Syd. I don't really believe that your father is working with them either. He is one of the best agents the CIA has ever seen; he could have vanished without a second thought. The CIA only has speculative evidence to substantiate their theory about your father. Once we figure out what happened to you we'll be sure to find your father and get everything straightened out." Sydney smiled up at Vaughn appreciatively and closed her eyes. She willed herself to relax before they landed.  
  
Vaughn stared pensively out the window as the plane dipped lower in the sky. He did really want to believe that Jack Bristow was not capable of turning to Sloane and Irina, but even he had often contemplated hatching a deal with the devil if it meant getting Sydney back.  
  
Morocco  
  
"-I expect we will have the codes by the week's end." Arvin Sloane said. He looked over the table at his companion who had nodded along with his explanation. "How is the search going Jack? Has anything turned up?" Sloane did not needed to feed a false interest into his tone but found himself working hard to appeal to Jack on an emotional level.  
  
"Nothing has turned up. There have been no leads on Sydney lately and I find myself growing more uneasy about it every day." Jack said evenly.  
  
"Don't give up hope Jack. You will find Sydney eventually and I will do everything in my power to help you. I promised you that Jack." Jack merely nodded at the man, his mind taking in Sloane's sincerity and once again questioning his motives  
  
Jack and Sloane both rose and agreed to meet again in three days to determine the operation specifics to retrieve the codes. Jack made a move to follow Sloane toward the front of the house but Sloane stopped him.  
  
"I'll let myself out Jack. Enjoy your evening." Sloane smiled and left.  
  
Jack turned around and surveyed the yard laid out before him. The patio sat higher than the rest of the grounds and was solid stone. The heat on the 34th parallel was easing as the late afternoon turned to early evening. He felt at home in the beautiful mansion he inhabited along the boarders of Casablanca. A quick drive down the hill the house was built atop and one would arrive at the coast.  
  
Sloane stayed in Morocco during times they were working explicitly together, but otherwise was not a resident. Jack's thoughts turned to his daughter and his continued search for her. Sloane had made him an offer he could not refuse when the CIA had discontinued their search. He chuckled softly at the realization that Sloane had been right, Jack had eventually been willing to work with him.  
  
For a time Jack had been certain that Sloane was responsible for Sydney's disappearance but over time that theory became less likely. Now as months of working together had passed Jack knew that Sloane was unaware of Sydney's location and for his own purposes be willing to do most anything to find her.  
  
Jack's musings were interrupted by two arms snaking around his middle and lips being pressed to the back of his neck.  
  
"You look very thoughtful out here. Would you like to share?" The voice asked him softly.  
  
"Sloane just left." Was his only response but his hands came up and grasped the ones lying against his chest.  
  
"I know. I saw him on my way in. He looked quite pleased with himself. I assume that means we are moving on the codes sometime this week." Jack smiled at the thought that anything that escaped the mouth settled against his shoulder now would seem seductive.  
  
"Yes, we will be meeting in three days to iron out the details of the operation." For a while the two were silent as they enjoyed the solitude of the garden.  
  
"I missed you today." Jack spoke finally, leaning down to kiss on of the hands that remained on his chest.  
  
"I missed you too but I could not put my meeting off any longer without jeopardizing my holdings. Sloane still doesn't suspect anything?" The throaty timber asked hesitantly.  
  
Jack turned around finally and cupped a face that was so precious to him. "Not a thing. He'll meet his end soon enough; we will make sure of it." He smiled brightly and received an equally bright smile in return.  
  
In the waning light Irina's features were accented and served to make her even more beautiful. Jack took the opportunity to lean down and capture her lips with his in a searing kiss.  
  
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	3. Home Again

Same Disclaimer Applies: It took me two days to write this because I didn't get many reviews from my last chapter. Hehehe just kidding, or not, you'll never know. Anyway, Enjoy!!!!!  
  
MOROCCO  
  
The kiss ended much to the disappointment of both involved. Irina smiled as Jack pulled away enough to look into her eyes.  
  
"Have you eaten yet?" Jack asked. He got a nod of affirmation in response causing Irina's dark tresses to fall forward.  
  
"Has any progress been made on Sydney's whereabouts?" Irina moved with Jack into the house and closed the patio doors for the evening.  
  
"Nothing as of today, but we will find her. I have a few leads to India, Pakistan and Nepal. No one seems to be of any help." Jack signed in frustration at his lack of information. "How did your meetings go?"  
  
He sat himself heavily onto the sofa while Irina took a seat across from him on the coffee table. "Well. By noon I was counting the hours before I would be home; my associates can be utterly boring at times. Despite my less than exuberant attitude at the meetings, my assets are doing well. They are bringing in quite the net return."  
  
"The Rambaldi machine is still sitting in Tanzania, Sloane has deserted it and any potential he thought it may possess. It doesn't make any sense and what is his preoccupation with finding Sydney truly about? There are so many unanswered questions Irina. When we began working together we did not plan for the disappearance of our daughter and it has resulted in a serious set back." Jack rubbed his eyes vigorously with his hand.  
  
"Panama seems so far away from today Jack. I could never have fathomed losing Sydney and not being able to use my influence to find her. I hate not being in control and if it weren't for you I would likely have self- destructed already." Irina ran her hand back and forth over Jack's knee, needing something tangible to hold onto.  
  
She spent time assessing the appearance of the man she loved. He had lost weight after Sydney had disappeared and not regained it. Instead he had begun a new fitness regimen that made him seem even more powerful. His skin was dark from the Moroccan sun but the sadness and frustration still shone in his eyes.  
  
"You are my lifeline as well Irina. I need you more than I have ever needed anything. You and I will come out on top of this and Sloane will be nothing more than a distant memory." He was stern not allowing himself to contemplate any other possibilities.  
  
Irina smiled softly at Jack, "Let's go to bed Jack." She got up off the table and strode toward the staircase.  
  
"Irina, it's barely dusk outside, I don't believe sleep is necessary yet." Disbelief and humor touched his words.  
  
"Who said anything about sleep?" Irina threw over her shoulder as she ascended the stairs.  
  
Jack didn't comment, only chuckled and followed her thinking that with the return of his daughter his life would reach perfection.  
  
CIA HEADQUARTERS - LOS ANGELES  
  
Sydney and Vaughn entered the facility accompanied by four guards. They had been met at the airport and taken to headquarters immediately. Neither Vaughn nor Sydney commented on the guards and the easy with which they could have been down but shared knowing smiles.  
  
Obviously Sydney was not yet trusted by the CIA and she prepared herself for the bombardment of questions she was sure to be assaulted with.  
  
The guards had orders to take Sydney directly to debrief but she caught sight of something that would garner her attention first. The guards twitched and moved closer to Sydney as she veered to the right but were quickly waved off by the approaching agent.  
  
Dixon stared at Sydney for moments before wrapping his arms tightly around her. "Vaughn called in to confirm it was you, but I couldn't believe it until I saw you with my own eyes." Dixon squeezed her tight then pulled away to look at her. "Are you okay?" He questioned.  
  
"Physically, yeah I'm fine but I'm still dealing with some confusion." Sydney smiled at him in reassurance that she would be okay.  
  
As she finished speaking she noticed others that had gathered around Dixon, waiting with bated breath. Marshall was unable to say anything at all but carried a large smile on his face and surprised eyes. Weiss seemed to be coming out of his shock but Will looked like he might fall over.  
  
"I'm really here guys, I'm not an illusion." She smiled brightly hoping to put everyone at ease.  
  
"Come here." Weiss ordered, opening his arms. Sydney laughed and hugged him. "You were missed very much. If you wanted to know how much everyone liked you, you could have just asked." No one but Weiss and Syd laughed at the joke.  
  
"I'm so glad to see you alive." Will gasped finally and moved in for his turn for a hug.  
  
"I return the sentiment completely." She whispered. Will looked close to tears when they broke apart.  
  
"I believe I asked Miss Bristow to be brought directly to me upon her arrival." Kendall bellowed from the other side of the central room.  
  
"Sir, Miss Bristow had a pressing matter to attend to and I believed she could spare the time." Dixon said; a mask of stone slipping into place.  
  
Kendall didn't comment but turned to Sydney and took a few seconds before speaking. "Your debrief begins right now Miss Bristow. Please come with me." Sydney and Vaughn began walking toward Kendall with the guards in tow. "Alone Miss Bristow." His tone was harsh and Vaughn looked about to protest.  
  
"I'll be done soon. It's okay." She spoke softly to him, then followed Kendall into a briefing room that housed ten other top administrators from the FBI, NSA, DOJ and CIA.  
  
10 HOURS LATER - CIA MEDICAL CENTER  
  
The debrief had gotten them nowhere as Sydney was not able to recollect any of the past two years. The brass had ordered her to be taken to the medical facilities to determine that she was who she said she was, before being released.  
  
She was just finished dressing after the complete physical she had been given when Vaughn walked through the medical room doors.  
  
"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked her  
  
"Like a lab rat. I have been poked, prodded and tested more than any human should. I'm just waiting for them to tell me I can go." Sydney looked thoughtful for a second. "Although, I'm not really sure where I'll be going. I'm assuming I no longer have an address."  
  
"Will moved into the apartment once we got it all cleaned up. He lives there on his own, or at least when ever his girlfriend is not there." Sydney smiled up at Vaughn.  
  
"How long has Will been seeing her?" She asked.  
  
"About eight months. He met her right before I left for Connecticut. She seems nice, her name is Leighton but she works a fair bit, so she isn't around too much. Will offered me the apartment to stay at when I came back to L.A., so I guess you can have your old room back, at least temporarily." Vaughn knew that staying in familiar surroundings would put Sydney at ease and had worked out the details with Will before seeing her.  
  
"That would be great. Now I just have-" She stopped speaking as Kendall and two doctors who had preformed the testing walked through the door.  
  
"Well, the tests confirm you are Sydney Bristow. There were high trace amounts of memory suppressors found in your blood stream, where could account for the majority of your memory loss." Kendall announced.  
  
One of the doctors cut in, "The drug will eventually begin to leave your system and when it does you are likely to have sudden flashes of memory. Headaches may accompany the memories because you are essentially beginning rapidly de-toxed."  
  
"So I will regain my memory from the last two years." Sydney said.  
  
"The drug was specifically targeted to suppress events from a short period of time. I can't promise that all your memories will resurface, but the majority will." The other doctor explained.  
  
Sydney nodded her head. "So that's it. Am I free to leave?"  
  
The doctors shared a brief look before turning back to Sydney. "There was one other thing." One of them started. "The scar on the right side of your stomach." The doctor trailed off, making Sydney more anxious. "It was not consistent with any of the other injuries you sustained from your fight before disappearing. It was obviously much deeper and was made with precision."  
  
"What is it?" Vaughn's words were clipped with anticipation.  
  
"Miss Bristow, have you ever had a drink of alcohol during your life?" One of the doctors asked.  
  
Sydney looked confused and shook her head. "Yes, I've drank on a number of occasions. Why is it important?"  
  
"Your liver shows no signs of any residual alcohol, or toxins of any kind that were not directly related to the memory suppressants." The doctors were beginning to aggravate Sydney due to their lack of explanation.  
  
"What does that mean?" She asked impatiently.  
  
"It means that although your liver is genetically yours as we have tested, it is brand new. If and one year old child were able to be born with an adult sized liver, it would have the toxin level of your own."  
  
"Someone gave me a liver transplant?" Sydney said incredulously.  
  
The doctor shook is head and seemed to find the situation as surreal as the woman in front of him. "No Agent Bristow, it appears someone grew you a new one."  
  
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	4. The Who

Same Disclaimer Applies: This story in not going to be as long as my other one but please continue to review. I hope everyone is enjoying the story thus far and I promise the liver thing will be cleared up. HAVE FUN READING!!!!  
  
HOME OF WILL TIPPIN  
  
Sydney and Vaughn had spoken intermittently on the way to the apartment but the drive was marred by long drew out silences. Despite the doctor's claims that Sydney had been grown a new liver, they were open to alternative suggestions as the idea was completely foreign to them.  
  
The most interesting discovery the CIA medical staff made was the tiny piece of tissue that had been removed from the fresh liver. It seemed to add to the mystery of the situation and to Sydney's headache.  
  
The CIA had taken care to keep knowledge of Sydney's reappearance from becoming known. They had a clean-up crew in Hong Kong to cover any existence of Sydney and later Vaughn.  
  
Vaughn parked the car and he and Sydney walked into the apartment. Will had given him a spare key because he was going to be working late trying to uncover a trail of Sydney into Hong Kong.  
  
The keys were discarded on the hall table as Vaughn led Sydney into the living room. She glanced around the room and saw both familiar and new pieces. The wall color was the same but the house had a decidedly manly feel to it. Vaughn turned to look at her and smiled, happy to see she wasn't a mirage.  
  
"Do you want to talk?" He asked carefully.  
  
Sydney sighed. "I'm all talked out but I would love for you to fill in some of the details of your life over the past two years."  
  
"How about we get changed and settled before I start, that way if I'm boring you, you can fall asleep." Vaughn raised his eyebrows mischievously.  
  
"Is your life really that horrible without me in it?" Sydney joked.  
  
Vaughn turned serious and placed his palm against the side of her head. "It's worse."  
  
As Vaughn leaned down to press his lips against Sydney's all thoughts of talking left their weary minds. Movements born out of memory enabled the two to enter Sydney's old room without detaching themselves. For the first time in two years Vaughn felt as though he belonged for he was with the woman he loved and no one would take that from him again.  
  
HELSINKI, FINLAND  
  
Sloane taped his fingers absently on his board desk. His mouth was set in a straight line and his eyes alluded to grim circumstances. Two years had passed with absolutely no progress worth thinking about. With Sydney gone he was not able to accomplish what he had wanted to. She was needed in order for him to fulfill the prophecy, but no amount of effort or quality of search network was capable of finding her.  
  
He was frustrated and was at a loss for what to do next. The codes he, Jack and Irina were going after would provide them with vital information on the world's intelligence network and leads to Rambaldi.  
  
Thirty years had provided Sloane with the opportunity to gather all the Rambaldi pieces; however, assembling the machine left Sloane with more questions than answers. He had discarded the machine when he realized it would not work, after the initial moans of promise the machine had made, it remained dormant and uncooperative. The machine had found a home a year and a half ago in Nepal where Sloane could reclaim it when he understood what was needed to make it run.  
  
Sloane would never admit it to anyone, but having Jack working with him again was both refreshing and reassuring. Jack challenged him with logic and control where he thought himself and even Irina were reckless.  
  
That brought up another issue that Sloane was quite pleased with. He was proud to claim responsibility for the renewed relationship Jack and Irina shared. After losing his wife Sloane developed an appreciation for the happiness that his two colleagues could have motivating him to orcastrated more then one situation where they found themselves alone. Jack and Irina had gotten remarried and moved into their home in Morocco by the end of the second month together.  
  
Sloane's musings were disrupted when the door to his office opened and one of his employees entered.  
  
"What have you got for me?" Sloane questioned.  
  
"Mister Sloane, there is no sign of the Bristow girl but we had some alleged reports from Hong Kong." The man before Sloane answered.  
  
"A possible sighting is more than we have had for almost two years. I want you to investigate the report and don't bother returning until you have something." Sloane's voice was dark and caused the man to straighten his spine.  
  
"Yes Sir." With that the man left the room intent on finding Sydney Bristow.  
  
Sloane decided to sit on the information of Sydney until he had something more concrete. Jack and Irina would be preoccupied with retrieving the codes and could wait to know if Sydney had reappeared.  
  
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO  
  
Jack found Irina sitting quietly on the patio the next morning. She was wearing a tank top and soft cotton skirt with her hair pulled up to combat the early morning heat that was already assaulting Morocco. She was so immersed in her thoughts she didn't hear Jack come up behind her.  
  
"We seem to be making a habit of finding each other out here." He said softly so as not to startle her.  
  
Irina turned to catch him watching her intently. She hummed then turned back around to face the garden. Jack came up behind her and began massaging her shoulders lightly while keeping his gaze straight ahead.  
  
"You weren't bedside me this morning; what's on your mind?" Irina dropped her head and Jack dipped to place a gentle kiss on the back of her neck.  
  
"Sydney." Irina said boldly. She sighed before expanding. "I woke up early this morning with a sudden need to speak to her. It felt as though she was calling to me, I know it sounds insane but I haven't been able to shake the feeling that where ever she was, she isn't there any more." Jack moved to kneel beside Irina's chair.  
  
"Does it feel as though she is in danger?" Jack asked. His worrisome tone caused Irina to turn her attention from the garden.  
  
"No, I actually feel more relaxed than I have in months. I think it was the change that shook me up. This morning I woke up with the belief that where ever Sydney is, she is safe." A smile pulled at Irina's lips as she caressed the side of Jack's face.  
  
"As your husband I happen to know you are rarely wrong, so I'm willing to bet Sydney is safe." Jack smiled indicating his comment was meant as both a joke and reassurance.  
  
Irina laughed at the man kneeling before her. They found a secret pleasure in arguing with one another with Irina often declaring that she was right and Jack couldn't do anything about it. His presence was exactly what she needed to lift her spirits for the day  
  
L.A.  
  
Sydney tossed and turned beside Vaughn as dreams assaulted her sleep. She saw flashes of red and could smell the overwhelming scent of burning candles. A brief flash of snow-cover mountains caught her attention. The feeling of being watched and unable to move caused her to sit upright in bed. She quickly grabbed her head as a dull pain began to overpower her thoughts. She heard Vaughn asking her if she was okay but could only answer him with two whispered words.  
  
"It's starting."  
  
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I believe I have reached a point where I am more addicted to reviews than I am chocolate, and that is a stretch for me. 


	5. Red, Red, Red!

Same Disclaimer Applies: I totally just thought up another plot twist to my story but it won't appear for another few chapters. I seem to have bad luck with geography. In my other story I wrote about Israel and they had fundamentalist suicide bombings (not unusual but still) then I wrote about Morocco and look what happened, so I thought I should incorporate it into the story. ENJOY!  
  
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO  
  
Irina and Jack had decided to stay within the property perimeters while the city slid into turmoil. The suicide bombers had shaken the government and caused an uproar with the people. Jack had scoffed at the quick reflex of the US to connect the bombings to al-Qaede networks and had been commenting on the investigation every time Irina walked by the study.  
  
Sloane had called earlier that day and outlined the operation for the code retrievals that was to take place in three days, causing Irina's anxiety to mount. Neither she nor Jack anticipated moving on the codes so quickly and were still trying to piece together information that would take them to the Rambaldi machine.  
  
"Jack!" Irina called from one end of the house.  
  
"Yes?" He called back. Jack heard Irina's foot falls grow closer on the marble floors.  
  
"I need your input on the operation sequence. Could you please pull yourself away from the computer for two minutes." She finished in a huff, standing directly over his seated form.  
  
"I've found four unsubstantiated reports of a young American woman wandering the streets of Hong Kong a few days ago. This is more of a lead on Sydney than we've had in almost two years." Jack didn't look up from the screen and managed to grab Irina's attention as well.  
  
"Have there been any further reports?" Irina placed her hand on Jack's shoulder as she leaned closer.  
  
"The initial contacts are it. Whoever this girl is, she has disappeared as quickly as she appeared." Jack turned in his chair causing Irina to jump back. "I suspect Sloane knew about the sightings."  
  
"I agree, but we still don't know why Sydney is so valuable to him and until we do, we can't cut our ties." Jack jumped up from his chair and walked to the open French doors.  
  
"I know. I just find it more difficult every day to put on a front for Sloane's benefit. Once we get the code he wants, we will be even further behind him. And I'm sick of being behind." His arms crossed over his chest as Irina watched her husband's profile.  
  
"We'll take care of the codes. Sloane won't get the originals and we will find Sydney." Irina said softly, marveling at how often they switched role of pacifier.  
  
"Did Sloane send the final coordinates for the codes?" Jack asked.  
  
"Yes, he did. They're in Alger, Algeria."  
  
"That is only three or four hours from here." Jack moved closer to his wife.  
  
"Mmhhum." Irina sighed then tilted her head to the side. "Were you anxious about being away from home? Is that why you've been so tense lately?"  
  
Jack ran his palm down the back of Irina's head and rested it at her neck. "We can't afford to trust anyone Irina."  
  
"I know Jack. We won't be in Alger long; we'll get in and out as quickly as possible, so stop worrying or your blood pressure will rise." Irina smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss before moving toward the door. "We still have three days to finalize the plans and to get thing settled here for the day we'll be gone. I left the plans on your desk; I'll be upstairs after you're finished with them to iron out any of the flaws." She winked at him, making sure he knew no flaws would be found in her plan.  
  
Jack knew he had to finish the project Sloane had shackled he and Irina with before being able to devote himself to following up on the leads in Hong Kong. He sat back down at his computer and found even more progress had been made in the search in the short span of time he had been away. Two more sightings about four and seven days before the ones in Hong Kong had been reported in Bangladesh and Myanmar with his brow furrowed he left the computer and turned to the operation outline Irina had so carefully prepared.  
  
CIA HEADQUARTERS - L.A.  
  
Barely able to keep her eyes open, Sydney listened as Kendall droned on about the task force's accomplishments during her absence. From the looks tossed her way around the table she gathered that Kendall was getting a little carried away with the stories. Sleep was sporadic and hard to come by the night before as memories flooded her mind intermittently.  
  
Flashes of red, yellow, snow, flesh, and a warm environment were all she had gained from her sleepless night. It frustrated the hell out of her, but she was determined to understand the images as soon as possible.  
  
"Mr. Tippin, have you found anything of use for us?" Kendall asked Will, regarding Sydney's whereabouts.  
  
"Actually, we tried to quell the reports of Sydney sightings in Hong Kong to keep Sloane and her uh mother and father from knowing she is back, but further reports have come in recently from-" Will stopped to look down at his sheet. "Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam."  
  
Kendall turned to Sydney. "Do any of those places seem familiar to you? Can you remember being to any of them in the past few weeks?"  
  
"No, I have yet to remember anything substantial." Sydney shook her head and felt another headache come on.  
  
"Do you feel as though you are ready to go back to work in the field?" Kendall's tone was condescending as he leaned back in his chair.  
  
"I'm prepared to enter the field again." Sydney answered evenly.  
  
"Good. I want you and Agent Vaughn to work through some fighting routines to sharpen your skills. I want everyone to remain at high alert during the next few days. The CIA believes Sloane, Derevko and Bristow will be making a move soon."  
  
Sydney tensed at name attached to the end of the list but remained quiet.  
  
"Dismissed." Kendall ordered.  
  
Sydney and Vaughn changed before entering the CIA gym. Vaughn moved to hold the heavy bag for Sydney to begin take shots on it.  
  
"Kendall has become even more of an ass in the time I've been gone." Sydney stuck the bag.  
  
"When your father was here, there was someone to keep Kendall in line, now he feels he has free reign." Vaughn said in response.  
  
"I've been over it again and again in my head and I still can't figure out why my father would do something as foolish as joining Sloane and my mother. He's smarter than that." Sydney added a kick to the bag. "I wish I-" Sydney stopped speaking and began to sway on the mats. Vaughn let go of the bag and grabbed her shoulders.  
  
"Syd! Syd!" Vaughn held her and moved them both softly to the ground. He watched Sydney's eyelids flutter and move with her rapid thoughts.  
  
Behind the closed lids Sydney saw her apartment in shambles. The image was blurry but she was able to see her bed and the shards of glass that surrounded her. A piece of red caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Whatever it was, was moving toward her cautiously. More red seemed to file into the room as an anxious feeling overtook her. A prick on her arms and a warm hand on her head relaxed her body and sent her spiraling into darkness once again.  
  
Sydney came back to herself to find Vaughn above her in the gym. With his help she sat up slowly and felt the headache abate slightly.  
  
"What just happened Syd?" Vaughn stroked her head carefully.  
  
"I saw my apartment after the fight with Fran- Allison. And then I saw the red again. I don't what it means Vaughn but the red is always there. It has to be important."  
  
"We'll find out what it is Sydney. Trust me." Vaughn spoke softly.  
  
"Always." Sydney whispered.  
  
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I know this was a long time coming. Promise to never make you wait this long for a story. If you promise to send reviews. Just kidding. (-; 


	6. Love Is A Wonderful Thing

Same Disclaimer Applies: This story is not going to be as long as my other one is, but I hope everyone enjoys it just as much. I would like to thank everyone who sends reviews, even if it is only one line. I truly appreciate it and please send more. Next chapter will be posted soon. HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!!  
  
TIPPIN RESIDENCE - LOS ANGELES  
  
In the few days that had passed Vaughn caught Sydney up on the specifics of his life during the twenty-two months she was missing. They had re- established a routine of dinners, talks and silences spent in the other's arms.  
  
Memories had continued to assault Sydney but they remained disjointed and confused. She was becoming frustrated with herself and Kendall who was pushing her to remember. But today was different, today Sydney had woken up from a peaceful night's sleep with Vaughn beside her and a better grasp of the scenes playing out in her head.  
  
Sydney knew there were people in the room with her during most of her absence. They rarely touched her but were not far away. She didn't remember any forms of torture, yet she instinctively knew that she was being sedated. At times streams of light cut through the shuttered windows while others the room was immersed in black. Every so often a man would enter the room, Sydney could tell based on the weight on his step, a dark shroud accompanied him.  
  
He would whisper orders to the others in the room, study her quietly, then turn to leave. There was no sign of immediate danger, yet Sydney still became encapsulated in fear each time her mind revealed more of its secrets.  
  
The clock beside the bed read seven-thirty but Sydney was in no hurry to get up and away from the warm body beside her. She and Vaughn had both been given the day off to decide what they were going to do.  
  
Vaughn had been told when he left the CIA that his job would be waiting whenever he wished to return. Sydney had been cleared for security and the CIA was anxious to get her back in the field. The couple had decided they would talk out all their options before making a decision.  
  
"Morning." A sleepy but contented voice spoke from beside her.  
  
"Yes it is. Good observation Vaughn." Sydney chuckled into his stomach.  
  
"You know what I mean. And isn't it a little early for sarcasm?" Vaughn rolled over so he was facing Sydney on his side. "So when are we supposed to begin this discussion?" Vaughn asked as he stoked Sydney's bare arm.  
  
"Vaughn, I don't want you to think that my decision has to be yours. You have another life now and I won't begrudge you returning to it. I'm torn myself on whether I want to stay with the CIA or not. Everyone believes I'm dead; it is the perfect escape from this life." Sydney fell silent and Vaughn looked at her carefully.  
  
"But you don't know if an escape from this life is what you want." He finished for her.  
  
"I still have unfinished business. Sloane has yet to be caught and is out there somewhere doing God knows what." She waved her arm for effect. "I haven't dealt with my mother yet and I would like to get to the bottom of my father's apparent sudden insanity." Sydney relaxed against the pillow behind her when she was done.  
  
"Syd, I loved my work at the CIA. I loved working with you. If you decide to return I will be with you all the way and if you decide not to, then I will probably be with you anyway." He smiled at her.  
  
"I don't think we're done yet Vaughn. There are still things we have to accomplish, one being to find Sloane and the other to find out what kept me from you and everything else I love for almost two years."  
  
Vaughn was silent for a few moments causing Sydney to scrutinize him. "What?" She asked.  
  
"Did you just say that I was someone you loved?" He asked with a cocky smile. Sydney didn't answer, instead she went over her comments from seconds before. She looked startled when she came to the last sentence.  
  
"I- I didn't-" She didn't want to look him in the eye but she was unable to pull her gaze away.  
  
"I love you, you know." Vaughn smiled and raised his eyebrows.  
  
He got an answering smile and a deep kiss. "I do love you Vaughn." They kissed again but were interrupted by both their pagers going off. Both read a 911 page from Kendall.  
  
The couple looked up at each other. "So are we going back or not?" Vaughn held his pager up.  
  
"We'd better hurry. Kendall will not be happy if we're not there quickly." Sydney grabbed the pager from his hand and jumped out of bed.  
  
CIA TASK FORCE HEADQUARTERS - LOS ANGELES  
  
Kendall stood as he began the meeting. "In twelve hours Sloane is expected to go after a marked set of codes. Through information the CIA has received we surmise the codes will be used in correlation with the Rambaldi machine. Agents Bristow and Vaughn have recently informed me they are returning to the task force, I assume you will have no trouble being part of the operation." Kendall looked at the two younger agents and got no response, merely stares.  
  
"There is a guarded facility in Alger, Algeria that has been reported as the whereabouts of the codes. Your mission is simple, get the codes and take whoever Sloane sent to retrieve them into custody. I will be traveling with you and acting as base station from a north western quadrant of Algeria. We depart in one hour." Kendall lost interest in the group, signally their opportunity to leave.  
  
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO  
  
Irina watched Jack swim length after length in the pool. It was mid-day and the indoors or water were one's only relief from the heat. She had done a search on Sydney when she had woken up earlier that day and come up with a list of countries. It seemed that whoever it was that the reports were centered on, had made her way from west to east, stopping only in Hong Kong.  
  
Not able to stay seated for much longer, Irina donned a bathing suit and headed for the pool. She was anticipating the strike later that night, despite not wanting Sloane to have the codes. Irina continued to enjoy the thrill of a successful mission no matter what the cause. But right now her mission was to seduce her husband, she smile wickedly.  
  
"Jack, how do you stand it out here? The heat is stifling." She eased her way into the pool at the shallow end's steps.  
  
"You're trying to seduce me." Jack stated blandly from the other side of the pool.  
  
"Why do you say that?" Irina's eyebrows rose with each movement.  
  
"Because if you were coming to the pool to swim laps, you would not have worn two pieces of material, that are barely staying on, as a suit." Jack move toward her.  
  
"How very astute Mr. Bristow, but now tell me why I would have to seduce my own husband?" They were standing directly in front of one another but not touching.  
  
"You enjoy getting what you want when you want it and you know I would never deprive you." They both smiled and sunk lower in the water with their legs tangled together.  
  
"Are you ready for tonight?" Irina inquired.  
  
"Mmmhum. We should be in and out of the facility quickly, so we can get home and sleep like normal people do at two in the morning." He answered.  
  
"We have never been normal Jack." She kissed his neck. "Sleep when we get home?" Her eyes smiled.  
  
"I'm an old man Irina. I need my sleep." He hugged her tightly but kept a straight face.  
  
"Hardly Jack. You are many things but old is not one of them. And I happen to be an expert on Jack Bristow's health and physicality." Jack smiled at his wife, not able to remember another time in the past twenty years he had felt so wonderful. He had confidence they would find Sydney and his world would be even better. But first he and his beautiful wife had a mission to complete.  
  
Please Review ;D ----REALLY PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! 


	7. Meetings Can Be Deadly

Same Disclaimer Applies: I have shitty luck! So I already complained about Israel having problems, then the bombings in Morocco. In Truth Belongs to Everyone much of the story is set in Toronto which is yet again marred by SARS and now an earthquake kills over 1800 people in Algeria. Okay I've vented. This chapter is really short but I'll post again soon. ENJOY.  
  
ALGER, ALGERIA  
  
The CIA transport was full. Dixon, Weiss, Sydney, Vaughn, Kendall and even Marshall were on their way to Algeria. It had been a while but Sydney felt confident she would be able to stop Sloane's men and retrieve the codes for the CIA. She and Dixon were going in together while the large strike team commanded by Vaughn would be waiting close by.  
  
The city of Alger was dark as they finally descended into their destination. The heat seemed to grasp every agent and weigh down their steps before they set foot out of the aircraft.  
  
Everyone split up at that point, Dixon and Sydney heading straight for the build, Vaughn organizing his team to strike and Kendall, Weiss and Marshall setting up the base operations.  
  
"You're cleared to enter." Kendall spoke to Sydney and Dixon through his head piece.  
  
"You take side entrance and I'll go in through the front." Dixon told Sydney. She had been surprised that upon regaining her agent status with the CIA she discovered Dixon had been promoted to the position her father once held.  
  
Irina and Jack were already at the computer terminal downloading the codes onto disk. Jack had left to do a sweep of the halls surrounding the computer lab while Irina finished her task.  
  
Sydney came to the door to the lab and communicated her position to base. She would take the codes and exit as quickly as possible. In the darkened room she caught sight of someone already at the terminal. She held her gun level with the person's head and spoke.  
  
"Make one move and I'll shoot." She ordered.  
  
Before the person at the terminal could turn to look at her, Sydney felt a gun barrel make soft contact with her neck.  
  
"Drop it." The voice behind her stated.  
  
Irina turned in the chair to see Jack holding a gun on the person with their gun trained on her. "Sydney." She breathed.  
  
"Sydney?" Irina heard Jack reiterate. Sydney turned slightly to find her father behind her.  
  
"Dad." She whispered. 


	8. Homecomings Not To Be Heartfelt

Same Disclaimer Applies: I have another idea for a story but I don't want to start it until either this story or my other one is complete. It will just be too much and I probably won't be able to update as much if I start it. We'll find out where Sydney was for almost two years in the next few chapters. ENJOY!!!!  
  
ALGER, ALGERIA  
  
Sydney didn't have time to get anything else out of her mouth as the world swam in front of her. She grabbed her head and squeezed her eyes shut; the headache had returned with a vengeance.  
  
Jack and Irina were ripped from their shock at their daughter's movements. All thoughts of escaping fled as they were both drawn to Sydney's side. Easing her way toward the floor, the pain was dulled by the images as Sydney tried grasping them mentally to form a coherent picture.  
  
"Not now." She whispered.  
  
"Sydney what's going on? Where are you hurt?" Jack had dropped to his knees beside her while Irina mirrored his position.  
  
"Oh God." Sydney whispered again.  
  
She was back in her bedroom that fateful night almost two years before. The room was in shambles and her head was pounding from the repeated blows it had endured. She had never completely lost consciousness, only become hazy and lethargic.  
  
Voices drifted in from the living room, ones Sydney had never heard before. From the variance of tones she determined there to be six people in the house and all of them men. Despite the number, all of the communicating was done softly and with measured decibels.  
  
Sydney tried to move when the voices began drawing closer. Her shackles rose, preparing for another attack but her body protested even the slightest shift. The footsteps slowly making their way to the bedroom were so soft, Sydney had cause to second guess her deduction of men but there collective voices were too low to be anything but.  
  
Glimpses of red were back, seeming to be the dominate theme in all of her memories. The men spoke again while watching her struggle to keep her eyes open. The language was foreign and not one that Sydney was readily familiar with. She was able to pick out words that could be from a handful of dialects however the mystery remained.  
  
A prick on her shoulder sent her unwillingly into the darkness. She could remember waking twice more: once with an overwhelming feeling of cold, a chill so deeply felt she tensed through the relocation. The other, a time where the heat sat heavy around her prone form causing trickles of sweat to bead and run over her body.  
  
All at once she came back to the present to find her parents hovering over her in the dimly lit room. Her mother was brushing the wisps of hair that had pulled out of her braid, away from her face while her father held her hand and scanned her body for any signs of injury.  
  
"Sydney." Irina smiled when she saw her daughter open her eyes.  
  
"I'm fine. This seems to be happening a lot lately." Sydney provided them with no more information.  
  
"Where have you been? How did you get here? Have you been hurt in any way? I-" Irina didn't know what else to say. Jack appeared to be equally stunned at the reappearance of their daughter.  
  
"I'm not hurt and I haven't been that I know of. I don't know where I was before and as for-" Sydney was cut off as Dixon and a team of agents broke through the lab door.  
  
"Sydney you weren't answering your- shit." Dixon swore upon seeing Jack and Irina crouching beside Sydney.  
  
"Stand up and move away. Put your hands where I can see them." Dixon's commands were punctuated by the machine gun cradled in his hands.  
  
"Dixon." Jack began calmly. He was preparing to reason with the man he had worked beside for so many years.  
  
"I'm sorry Jack. Move away from Sydney and make sure your hands are visible. You to Ms. Derevko."  
  
They both moved away, keep in their eyes trained on Sydney. But that didn't stop Irina from taunting Dixon out of anger. She whispered something under her breath.  
  
"What was that?" Dixon asked. Jack would have rolled his eyes at Dixon walking into the trap so easily had he not been afraid to take said eyes from Sydney.  
  
"I said, that it's Mrs. Bristow." Irina gave the agents a look that could split them in two.  
  
Dixon turned to Jack to watch his reaction but when he saw only simple acknowledgement his shock grew.  
  
"What happened Sydney?" Sydney had finally gotten up from the ground and was able to focus despite the residual pain behind her eyes.  
  
"Nothing. My memory just picked an awful time to make an appearance."  
  
"What is your status Dixon?" Kendall sounded in Dixon's ear piece.  
  
"The lab is secure and we have retrieved the codes. We also presently have two people in our custody." Dixon seemed unsure about his last statement.  
  
"Who are they?" Kendall asked.  
  
"Irina Derevko and Jack Bristow." Dixon received no reply for a while and wondered if Kendall had stopped the communication.  
  
"Bring them in. Carefully." Kendall finally said.  
  
"Yes Sir." Dixon signaled for the agents to restrain them.  
  
Irina and Jack were frustrated at their slip. They had let their worry and joy over seeing Sydney again take precedence, placing them and their mission in danger. Yet at the same time their hearts soared knowing their child was no longer missing.  
  
Sydney watched as her parent's gaze connected and held a silent conversation in a short period of time. She wasn't sure if they were planning an escape or their story but either way she was going to get some answers out of them.  
  
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	9. The Danger Lies With Those You Know

Same Disclaimer Applies: Thanks again for all the fantastic reviews. I absolutely love them. Here is the nest chapter and I hope you enjoy it!!!!!! That's all I have to say about that. :D  
  
ALGER, ALGERIA  
  
The ride to the base was spent concentrating on not falling from the seats in the van as it traveled over every hole and crease made in the dirt road. Vaughn's team had joined the others quickly after hearing the mission had been completed. He had been in utter shock to see Jack and Irina being carefully escorted into the van with Sydney looking on in dismay.  
  
Vaughn knew Sydney had clung to hope that her father had not turned to Sloane and Irina after her disappearance and the guilt that accompanied such notions. He would have been incline to rip into Jack for causing his daughter more pain but felt something else was in the works when he first saw the 'intrepid duo'. He couldn't place the feeling that slowly formed in the pit of his stomach; it told him that Jack and Irina were hiding more than the location of Sloane.  
  
"You doing okay?" Vaughn whispered to Sydney. She looked at him skeptically so he continued. "Dixon told me that you had another headache and almost loss consciousness."  
  
"It really wasn't that bad. I just zoned out for a couple minutes and it seemed to distract my mother and father long enough to get them captured." Sydney glanced in her parent's direction where they were alternating between watching her and gazing at each other.  
  
"See anything new this time." Vaughn discreetly took her hand in his and squeezed it gently.  
  
"A lot of the same thing but I did feel something new. People came into the house then into my bedroom. I couldn't get off the floor and I was terrified but then I got this calming feeling as though I knew I wasn't in imminent danger. I couldn't make out all the words but I recognized that the people in the room were not speaking English." Sydney shrugged. "It still doesn't make much sense but I guess it's a start." She tried to smile however Vaughn easily saw through it.  
  
For all the worrying occupying Vaughn, Sydney was on equal footing. Her mind ran through endless possible outcomes of the capture of her parents. When she looked at her father she was unable to see a man capable of turning his back on his patriotism but then, she reasoned she had not had the same amount of time to adjust to the situation.  
  
In fact Sydney was still reeling from her mother's proclamation of being Mrs. Bristow. During the interim of two years her mother and father had reunited and remarried, a result she would have never suspected. The more she processed her parent's involvement with Sloane the more she questioned it. Glancing quickly at Vaughn gave her a view of him deep in thought and looking in the direction of her parents.  
  
"Something else is going on isn't it?" Sydney stated quietly.  
  
"With your parents?" Vaughn was torn from his thoughts. Sydney nodded surreptitiously. "Yes, I would have to agree with you." He paused. "But I have no clue as to what it is."  
  
The van came to a halt eliciting a small sigh of relief from everyone. Agents from the second van surrounded the one carrying the prisoners before the doors were opened. Day light had begun to break over the endless plains causing the air to rise in degrees.  
  
"Sir here are the codes." Dixon handed Kendall the codes Irina had taken from the facility.  
  
"Good work." Kendall said without conviction.  
  
"Thank you." Irina answered him sweetly. Jack gave her a warning sign hoping she would cease her antagonizing of Kendall.  
  
"Are you getting sloppy Jack, or was the sheer shock of seeing your daughter again too much." Kendall moved closer to Jack and took careful assessment of the metal confining his arms behind his back. "How does it feel knowing that your daughter knows what a traitor her father has become. You're pathetic Jack! And I can't wait to see you in front of a tribunal back home, its over for you Jack and it will only be that much sweeter to take your lying whore of a wife down with you." Every agent listened with rapped attention at Kendall's tirade. Jack had remained completely impassive until the last line, at Kendall's words Jack snapped.  
  
Before anyone could make a move, Jack had both his hands out of the cuffs and was holding Kendall's gun at the man's temple. The next instant everyone else had raised their guns and trained them on Jack and Irina.  
  
"Jack put the gun down." Vaughn called out cautiously. Jack didn't move.  
  
"Are you going to shoot me Jack? Why not, you've already abandoned your country." Kendall taunted. Jack's grip tightened on the gun.  
  
"Dad, drop the gun. Please." Sydney yelled. Jack's arms relaxed slightly but the gun was still trained at Kendall's head.  
  
"Apologize to my wife and I'll put the gun down." The menacing tone almost made Kendall shudder. The two men stared each other down moments more before Kendall conceded.  
  
"Mrs. Bristow, you have my sincerest apologies." Kendall said sarcastically.  
  
"Why Mr. Kendall, if I thought you meant that I would be touched." Irina returned facetiously, with a full smile. She was not able to get the grin off of her face despite the danger they were encountering, for her daughter had returned. "Jack would you like to drop the gun now or would you like the clip?" Irina held her recently freed hands out in front of her, displaying the bullet clip for the gun Jack was holding.  
  
"No thank you sweetheart. I'm done." Jack dropped the gun on the ground and sported a small smile to show Kendall he had won.  
  
"Get them inside." Kendall ground out. "And make sure they're secure this time!" He yelled at the retreating backs.  
  
"Should I call Director Devlin and apprise him of our situation?" Weiss asked Kendall  
  
"No, I'll handle this matter." Kendall left Weiss and walked into the building the CIA was currently occupying. Weiss watched him leave strangely and left in search of someone to answer his questions.  
  
Jack and Irina had been placed on opposite sides of the only room capable of handling an interrogation. Kendall entered in a fury.  
  
"Where is the Rambaldi device?" Kendall demanded.  
  
"I don't know." Jack replied.  
  
"Yes you do and you're going to tell me. You're also going to tell me where Sloane is." Vaughn, Sydney, Dixon and Marshall entered the room but didn't participate.  
  
"We don't know where Sloane is. He won't be contacting us for another day." Irina answered.  
  
"I want you to contact Sloane right now and tell him to meet you somewhere." Kendall paced the room.  
  
"Impossible." Irina continued.  
  
"Why?" Kendall stopped pacing and faced her.  
  
With a straight face Irina simply stated. "We don't have his number."  
  
Kendall's composure had deserted him; Irina's answer not helping his anger. "Listen to me carefully Jack, I can make your life miserable or livable all you have to do is answer the questions."  
  
"I'm sorry but you're not cleared to hear the answers to any of your questions." Jack leaned back seemingly relaxed.  
  
Kendall was able to take four good swings at Jack before Dixon and Vaughn pulled him away. Such a tactic was often used in interrogation but they felt not only that Sydney's presence warranted at least some decorum but that Kendall was not in control.  
  
Weiss rushed through the door at break neck speed. "Director Devlin is on the phone Sir."  
  
"I told you I would handle the situation Agent Weiss." Kendall was flustered. He hated being presented with traitors but it was even worse when he had worked countless days with said traitor. "I'll take the call." He relented sighing.  
  
"Actually it's you he would like to speak to Sir." Weiss held the phone out for Jack.  
  
Jack took the phone warily and...  
  
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	10. Of Many Personalities And Minds

Same Disclaimer Applies: I wrote something special at the end for everyone who has reviewed because they truly do mean a lot. Hahahaha!!! Read and find out what it is. I hope you like this chapter, it took me long enough to write it. ENJOY!!!!!  
  
Jack took the phone warily and struggled to raise it with cuffed wrists. "Jack Bristow." He spoke into the receiver. Jack was silent signaling Devlin's occupation of the line for several seconds.  
  
"No Sir he does not." Pause. "I believe it has." Another Pause. "At this point full disclosure would be in our best interest." Everyone is the room stood anxiously. "A new strategy will be necessary and I do understand the position you were in." Kendall seemed to be in a state of disbelief. "Understood." Jack handed the phone over to a tense looking Kendall. "Director Devlin would like to speak with you."  
  
Kendall took the phone and held it to his ear. His facial expression quickly turned from anger to disbelief. "Yes Sir, I will."  
  
The call ended and Jack watched Kendall expectantly. "Devlin just handed over operation control to you." He looked directly at Jack. Sydney and Vaughn turned to each other hoping to garner an explanation as to what was going on. "What the hell is going on here?" Kendall boomed.  
  
"The key Mr. Flinkman." Jack held up his wrists. Marshall glanced back and forth between Kendall and Jack before undoing the cuffs. "My wife as well please." Marshall walked across the room to unclasp Irina's wrists. "I assure you that everything will be explained momentarily."  
  
Before Jack could continue, Irina was free and began speaking. "But first there is something I need to do."  
  
Every face showed uncertainty with her words and were all quite surprised when she took rapid steps toward Sydney. Irina's hands framed Sydney's face gently. "Your father and I were very worried about you. I'm happy to see you're safe, my precious girl."  
  
Warmth surrounded Sydney as her mother dropped her hands and enveloped her in the casing of her arms. Everything seemed surreal as Sydney clung to her mother; the most memory she had of the woman was of her falling from the roof. The two eventually pulled apart and Sydney noticed the tears gathering in her mother's eyes.  
  
"Devlin said you found yourself in Hong Kong two weeks ago." Jack placed a hand on Sydney's shoulder.  
  
"I did, but I don't know how I got there, or where I have been." Pain resurfaced in Sydney's eyes however she was determined to focus on the issue at hand. "What is going on Dad? The CIA believed you had joined Sloane."  
  
"Joining Sloane was a ruse much of the last two years has been. I suppose the beginning would be during the time of the Rambaldi Heart Script. Your mother didn't escape CIA custody, she was given permission from the highest ranking officers in U.S. Security." Jack paused and Irina took over.  
  
"Just before the mission to Panama, Jack and I had a meeting with Devlin. We were sanctioned to do covert work by infiltrating Sloane's organization. I was the double agent and Jack was my handler." A small smile graced Irina's lips. "The passive tracking device was planted to make Sloane and Sark believe Jack still did not trust me, nor was I working in league with him."  
  
Jack began speaking again. "It worked and Irina was working directly with Sloane while handing over information to the CIA. However, Sloane was much more cautious with his operations and little was being divulged with time for Irina to warn us. When Sydney disappeared everything fell apart. Sloane became consumed with finding her, to no avail." Jack turned to Sydney with apologetic eyes. Hoping she understood he was sorry he had not been able to stop whoever had taken her.  
  
"When the CIA stopped their search for Sydney it provided Jack with the perfect opportunity to join me in uncovering what Sloane was trying to accomplish. We played the whole thing out quite convincingly, even allowing Sloane to believe he was in part responsible for our reconciliation. Devlin was appointed our contact to the CIA when Jack left in part because he was one of only ten people who were aware of our mission." Irina turned to Jack to finish.  
  
"We're now in a precarious position. In a matter of days Sloane will be given information detailing the interruption of our mission and our covers will no longer be affective."  
  
"What are you going to do?" Sydney asked.  
  
"There are a few options available to us. Irina and I will confer in order to determine which will be the best course of action." Jack scanned the room of people.  
  
"You mean to tell me that from Panama and beyond, everything that has occurred was carefully orchestrated to bring Sloane down." Kendall paused looking for a response from Jack or Irina but began speaking again once he realized they were not going to answer. "Why would I not have been informed of the mission you were undertaking? At the time I was your superior officer."  
  
"And if you remember correctly, it was upon Jack's return from Panama that you were removed as director of operations for the task force, with Jack as a replacement." Irina looked stonily at Kendall.  
  
"I apologize for jumping topics, but what does Sloane want with the codes we retrieved tonight?" Vaughn entered the conversation in hopes of avoiding fireworks between Irina and a frustrated Kendall.  
  
Irina's shoulders seemed to relax when she turned to address the younger man. "The codes are necessary for the Rambaldi machine that Sloane built twenty-two months ago. According to him, the machine will not work without the number of code sets. This was the last set of codes; however, we have been unsuccessful in locating the Rambaldi machine. Sloane has it well hidden and avoids making trips to it in an effort to maintain its secrecy."  
  
"You mean he -uh- hasn't even informed the two of you?" Marshall sounded surprised. "Why doesn't he trust you with that? I mean- its obvious he shouldn't trust you cause you were both lying to him but he didn't know that and well he should have told you and I - I'm just gonna stop talking."  
  
Jack would never admit it but he quite enjoyed Marshall's ramblings at times and had missed them the last ten months. He had teased Irina years before when she had mentioned that Marshall was darling, during the Panama mission. He had told her that Sydney seemed to feel the same way for which he received an hour long diatribe on the charm of intelligence and bashfulness.  
  
"So what happens now? Devlin did put you in charge of the operation Jack." Dixon spoke. He had felt relief at knowing Jack had not abandoned his country and more specifically his morality. The idea that a man he respected and held in the highest regard was capable of working with his wife's murderer had been the source of a great deal of angst in Dixon's life.  
  
"Now we leave. By my estimation it is just after four in the morning. We won't be as safe here when day breaks. Send the rest of the team home; they'll be useless here. Devlin has suggested we all work together to outline an affective plan to find the Rambaldi machine and neutralize Sloane once and for all."  
  
They began to file out of the room in and organize the extraction of the rest of the team. Irina walked along side Jack as the flurry of clean up began around them.  
  
"So much for going to bed like normal people." She was grinning.  
  
"Normal is a mask we just weren't meant to wear Sweetheart." Jack's use of the endearment made his wife's smile expand.  
  
"We should split everyone up into two groups. I'll go with Sydney, Vaughn and Weiss in our vehicle. And you can take Dixon, Kendall and Marshall in theirs." Irina stood with Jack outside the present CIA facility. She caught Kendall watching them carefully from the other side of the building. Despite the darkness that still shrouded the early hour.  
  
"I know what you're trying to do." Jack glared at Irina accusingly. "You just want Sydney to yourself in hopes of asking her questions about her disappearance."  
  
"That may be true but I also don't think I will be able to sit with Kendall in a car and not attempt to strangle the man." Irina's sweet smile was Jack's undoing causing him to agree to the plan that was clearly benefiting her.  
  
"The rest of the team had assembled itself and is about to get underway." Dixon announced drawing nearer to Jack and Irina. Sydney, Vaughn, Weiss and Marshall had not strayed too far while Kendall kept a distance to the group.  
  
"We've decided to split up as we won't all fit into one Hummer. Sydney, Weiss and Vaughn you'll go with Irina. Everyone else will come with me." It did not take Jack long to regain his authoritative tone and stance.  
  
Kendall seemed reluctant to separate but was unable to come up with a better solution resulting in him intelligently keeping his mouth shut.  
  
IRINA'S CAR  
  
For the first few minutes of the ride the car had remained silent but that all changed when Irina opened her mouth.  
  
"Your father and I found leads on a woman matching your description traveling through Viet Nam, Myanmar, Laos and Bangladesh. We didn't want to get our hopes up but I we thought it was you."  
  
Sydney didn't know how to replay at first. "It is likely that all of those sightings were of me but I am not able to remember anything before waking up in a Hong Kong street." She sighed. "With the exception to all of the flashes I get. The doctors assure me that my memory will reappear but when can not be determined."  
  
"The memories will come back to you eventually. Don't try to rush them or it will likely cause more damage. And try not to be scared of them. They can't hurt you unless you let them." Irina reached over toward her daughter and grasped her hand tightly.  
  
Sydney was conflicted. She didn't know how she was supposed to respond to her mother. This was the woman she had thought betrayed her and her father, only to find out that not only had her mother and father been working together the entire time but they had also reconciled. The thought blew her mind with its implications. Sydney was also torn between understanding and hurt that her parents had not included her in their plot to take down Sloane. As an agent she was able to see the logical reasons not to tell her: her realistic reaction, the possibility of a leak and the danger to herself. But as their daughter it pained her to know they had allowed her to hate her mother once again.  
  
"How did you and Dad convince Devlin to allow you to leave CIA custody for an undetermined amount of time in order to employ the operation?" Sydney asked.  
  
There was still silence from the back of the car as Vaughn and Weiss wanted to allow the two women time to talk.  
  
"Moreover, how did you convince Dad?" Sydney was staring directly at her mother.  
  
Irina only moved her eyes from the road sporadically in favor of her daughter's direction. "The plan was essentially an amalgamation of ideas from Jack and myself but the initial plan had been Jack's." Irina paused and looked in the rearview mirror at the car's other occupants. "We had been spending quite a bit of time together, while working out Sloane's next steps. We came to the conclusion that Sloane would be needing a partner that was better connected and more experienced than Sark. However, between our work sessions we found quite a bit of time to talk. By the time we were on our way home from Bangkok it was obvious that we were beginning to put the past behind us."  
  
"There was still no way for Dad to be sure you weren't going to betray him again." Sydney said and mentally slapped herself when she saw her mother wince.  
  
"Your father gave me a gift over two years ago that I have cherished. He gave me his trust and I was not willing to lose it." Irina relaxed in the driver's seat as she began to recognize land marks that signified the nearness of their destination.  
  
"Where exactly are we headed?" Weiss asked hesitantly. Irina had always unsettled him and two years had done nothing to alter such a fact. They had all kept quiet when they had crossed the boarder to Morocco but the longer the drive was, the more curious they became.  
  
"We're almost there." She told him. The sun had risen in the sky and the clock read seven. Irina had been keeping more regulated hours after Jack had joined her. She was no longer used to staying up all night executing a mission.  
  
"When did you and Dad get remarried?" Sydney changed the subject.  
  
"Just over six months ago. Your father asked if I would be interested in marrying him again. We had two witnesses Priest. It was very quick but delightful." Sydney took note of the smile that had claimed her mother's face and found it difficult not to smile as well.  
  
The car drove up a hill and eventually met with a gated property. There had been houses positioned on either side of the hill but none of them matched the size of the house at the hill's peak. The car came to a closed iron gate with a security guard posted. Irina rolled down the window of the car and stopped in front of the gate.  
  
"Hello Mrs. Bristow, it is good to see you on this fine morning." The man's English was heavily accented, seemingly adding to his charm.  
  
"Mr. Gooskif, I would like to introduce you to my daughter Sydney and her two friends Michael and Eric." Irina saw Jack pull in behind her as she punched in her code to open the gate.  
  
"It is very nice to meet you. Have a lovely day to all of you." With that he stepped back and allowed Irina to drive through. He wave Jack through as well, before the gate closed again.  
  
"Where are we?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"Home." Irina answered easily. The drive way was lined on either side by large tropical plants that were sharply manicured. The stone house that sat before them, made everyone do a double take. Irina parked the Hummer with several other cars to the side of the house and got out.  
  
Vaughn, Sydney and Weiss took their cue from her and exited the car as well. The other vehicle was soon emptied and Irina and Jack were escorting everyone into the house. The awe of all continued when they saw the beautifully decorated home. The elegant French country design was made even more effective with the obvious feeling of a home that had been lived in.  
  
"I'm not sure how long we will be staying here, but I should warn you that in about two hours the only places you'll want to be are inside the house or in the pool. The heat can be a bit much during this time of the year." Irina informed them. "Would anyone be interested in something to eat?" Irina asked cheerfully.  
  
Jack found it hard not to laugh at the show she was putting on, likely for the benefit of Kendall.  
  
"I-uh-I could eat something if it isn't too much trouble because if-" Marshall was cut off by Irina.  
  
"It won't be any trouble at all; Oovrum is working today." Before Irina could even finish speaking a middle aged woman appeared in the living room.  
  
"Good Morning Mrs. Bristow. Are you interested in breakfast?" Her accent closely mirrored that of the guard at the gate.  
  
"Good morning Oovrum. Jack and I have company this morning and throughout the day. Would you be able to prepare breakfast for all of us?" Marshall and Weiss looked back and forth between each other, surprised at Irina's kind manner toward everyone she encountered. It was a vast difference from the woman the CIA had built her up to be.  
  
"Monroy called me from the gate and told me your daughter and friends would be here. I have already begun to prepare the meal." Oovrum smiled, pleased with herself.  
  
"Thank you. We'll be eating on the terrace this morning." Jack spoke to the woman.  
  
"Of course Mr. Bristow." The woman smiled before taking her leave.  
  
"You have a cook." Kendall crossed his arms in front of his chest.  
  
"Oovrum comes in on the days that I know will be busy. That way Jack and I don't have to worry about meals or cleanup. But she is a treasure to have." Irina moved closer to Jack causing Kendall to roll his eyes discreetly.  
  
"Would you like to give them a quick tour?" Jack asked his wife. She nodded in affirmation.  
  
"Most of the house has access to the terrace. The kitchen is through there." She pointed to her right. "The gym, formal dining room, billiard room and entertainment room is down the hall directly in front of us and the study is in the opposite direction." Indicting the stairs Irina continued. "Upstairs there are seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms. There are also laundry facilities if the need arises."  
  
Irina began walking toward the open French doors across from the stairs. "This is the terrace." She said walking through them. "The garden is lovely this time of year and there is a tennis and basket ball court further down the property. The pool is on your left." Irina finished with her tour at a large table set for breakfast. "We may as well sit, I doubt breakfast will be too long."  
  
Everyone sat down, even more awed than before. No one had thought Irina would have been a gracious host and yet they were having to quickly reevaluate their initial assessments.  
  
With the arrival of the food came the arrival of conversation. Talk of Sloane's actions, happenings at the task force since Jack's departure and the mystery of Sydney's disappearance were all covered during the meal. Just as the sun began to threaten heat exhaustion, Oovrum appeared.  
  
"Mr. Bristow, Mr. Sloane has just called to say that he will be arriving here soon." Faces around the table were stunned.  
  
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	11. The Child In Me

Same Disclaimer Applies: Have I mentioned lately that I am addicted to reviews. I have oh, well anyway, I would like to thank everyone who has sent reviews. They are great!!! I'm trying to review a little quicker this time. HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!!!!!  
  
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO  
  
"Sloane is coming here!" Dixon yelled. He along with most of his colleagues tensed around the table.  
  
"Did he give any estimated time?" Irina asked calmly.  
  
"He said he had stops to make and for you and Mr. Bristow to get a good nights rest." Oovrum watched the gears turning behind her employer's eyes.  
  
Irina leaned back in her chair and nodded other woman. "He isn't coming until tomorrow than. Thank you Oovrum."  
  
"You are welcome Ma'am." Oovrum left the terrace in favor of the air conditioned house.  
  
"What are the chances that Sloane will be aware of the operation's outcome when he arrives here tomorrow?" Irina stated somewhat distractedly.  
  
"It will depend on what we decide to tell him." Jack answered his wife. "There has been no formal report to the CIA therefore Sloane will not have been able to gather the appropriate intelligence on the mission. We have twenty-four hours to settle on a course of action." Jack addressed everyone at the table.  
  
"We set a trap. Sloane walks in here and we take him out. He isn't expecting all of us to be here so it will be the ideal opportunity." Dixon spoke with a determined timber.  
  
"What about the Rambaldi machine? If we take Sloane into custody now, he is likely to never tell us its location." Sydney commented.  
  
"Precisely." Jack acknowledged the validity of Sydney's statement.  
  
Irina circled her finger around the edge of her orange juice glass. Her head was tilted to the side and she was not meeting anyone's eyes. When she spoke her words were more drawn out then usually, telling Jack that she was working the problem out simultaneously with her speech. "Sloane is still not aware of Sydney's appearance and I believe it should remain that way. If Sydney is found he may have reason to question our loyalty to him thus weakening his trust in us again. Making Sloane believe we were successful in Alger may give him cause to let us in on the rest of his plot. We will hand over the last set of codes to him; to Sloane Jack has always been his best friend and he wants nothing more that to have that friendship back with no reservations." She paused. "Sloane will disclose the location of the machine and we will arrive at there with back up in the form of the CIA." Irina finished, finally looking up at everyone around the table. Kendall looked skeptical while Jack smiled in admiration at his wife.  
  
"You are putting a lot of faith in Sloane giving you the location of the machine." Vaughn said offhandedly. Irina took no offence to his comment, knowing he was only looking at all angles of the situation.  
  
"Sometimes Mr. Vaughn, you have to have a little faith." Irina's eyes shifted from Vaughn to Jack quickly then back again.  
  
"So uh- does that mean that we to leave before Sloane arrives here or do like have a secret passage we can wait in until he leaves again?" Marshall looked keen after his suggestion of a secret passage.  
  
"You'll be safe from detection if you are upstairs." Jack stated and bit back a laugh at the disappointed look that crossed Marshall's face.  
  
"I don't mean to whine but the heat is starting to become stifling. If no one minds I think I'm going to excuse myself." Weiss got up from the table.  
  
"We should all retire to the house." Jack announced, rising as well. Oovrum made an appearance before they could leave the terrace and began clearing the table. To the utter surprise of everyone else, Jack and Irina helped her before joining the group in the living room.  
  
"Would you mind if we checked out the rec. rooms you mention before?" Dixon had been delegated to ask.  
  
"Not at all. Make yourself at home." Irina smiled.  
  
Vaughn lingered for a second, making eye contact with Sydney. She silently communicated to him that she was going to stay behind and speak to her parents and he should go find Weiss and Marshall.  
  
Sydney turned to her parents suddenly at a loss for words. "Is there something you wanted to speak to us about Sydney?" Jack asked softly.  
  
She opened her mouth then closed it again. Her shoulders set in a firm line before she got her first words out. "I don't know how to voice what I'm feeling. It feels so childish and truly absurd. I mean I'm a grown woman, I don't know why this is bothering me." She sat down on the sofa and dropped her head in her hands.  
  
"What is it you want to say Sydney? I hope you know that you can say anything to us." Jack responded but he looked uncertainly at Irina.  
  
"You two just seem so happy." Sydney lifted her head from her hands but stayed hunched over.  
  
"I suppose we are." Both her mother and father smiled at her.  
  
"I just- this is going to sound pathetic, but while I was gone you two found happiness. I guess I thought- I don't know what I thought." The hurt and bewildered expressions both her parents wore struck a nerve with Sydney. "It isn't that I wanted your lives to stop with my disappearance but I guess I just didn't expect them to have progressed so much without me. I-" Sydney trailed off, unsure where exactly she was going with her emotional outburst.  
  
"Come with me. I'd like to show you something." Irina took Sydney's hand and pulled her to her feet. She then walked in the direction of the study with Jack bring up the rear.  
  
Irina opened the doors large wood doors to the study and ushered her daughter in. What Sydney saw made her stop short, causing her father to turn suddenly to avoid running into her.  
  
"I know you didn't want our lives to stop Sydney, but that doesn't mean you weren't constantly on our minds. Your father and I needed each other or we would have never made it through the last two years. My greatest fear was that you would never be found and subsequently would never know how much I love you."  
  
Sydney took in all of the papers and screens showing various searches for a woman of her description. The entire room appeared as though it had been transformed into a missing persons search station.  
  
"Almost every day was spent looking for you but by the time night fell and we still had no leads on you, it was more important than ever to have your mother there." Jack placed his arm softly around Sydney's shoulders. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes before turning fully and wrapping her arms around him.  
  
Jack held on tight to her and ran his hand soothingly down her head. He met Irina's eyes over Sydney's head and found she too was on the brink of tears. Irina moved closer to her husband and daughter and ran her hand down Sydney's back. Without a word Sydney turned from her father and embraced her mother.  
  
"I'm sorry. I told you it was absurd." Sydney wiped at her tears and smiled self-consciously.  
  
"Never be sorry for the way you feel Sydney." Irina smiled in reassurance.  
  
Sydney's smile widened and lost its hesitancy. "You used to tell me that when I was younger."  
  
"Well, it remains true today." It was quiet for a while then the air became more serious.  
  
"Sydney, you mentioned your disappearance at breakfast this morning, but is there anything else you remember?" Jack spoke with caution.  
  
"I-" She stopped and sighed heavily.  
  
"Why don't you take us through what you have been remembering. Don't leave out any images or sounds you may think irrelevant." Irina sat down and Jack and Sydney followed.  
  
"I see two locations and that is it. One is my apartment and the other I'm not sure." She paused and thought for a second. "When I'm at my apartment I'm unable to move. I blacked out for a few minutes after fighting Alison but voices brought me back around."  
  
"What voices?" Jack questioned.  
  
"Men. Probably five or six of them but they weren't speaking English. Then I see red and gold sometimes, both at home and in the other location." Sydney tried to keep her breathing even despite sudden anxiety.  
  
"Do you remember what you were feeling in the other location?" Jack asked again.  
  
"I feel apprehensive but I don't feel as though I'm in danger. The CIA medical team found that my liver had been re-grown or rejuvenated; they're not sure which yet." Both her parent's brows furrowed at that. "The first time I had flashbacks I saw snow but I haven't seen it again."  
  
"Sydney, can you repeat any of the words that were spoken? We may be able to determine what language it is." Irina leaned forward in her seat.  
  
"I don't recognize it but it does sound familiar." Sydney bit her bottom lip in concentration then rambled off a sentence in the foreign tongue.  
  
Irina looked confused and bit her lip similar to her daughter. "Why would they be speaking Nepalese?"  
  
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	12. The Lighter Side Of Me

Same Disclaimer Applies: Have I mentioned lately that I am addicted to reviews. I have oh, well anyway, I would like to thank everyone who has sent reviews. They are great!!! I'm trying to review a little quicker this time. HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!!!!!  
  
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO - Bristow Residence  
  
After determining the language Sydney felt fatigue rush into her. She had not been sleeping well at night and the emotional rollercoaster had done little to help. A yawn escaped her before she could stifle it and caught the attention of her mother.  
  
"Why don't you go to bed? I'll wake you in a few hours so that you can sleep tonight but I think the rest will do you some good." Irina looked concern for her daughter's health.  
  
Sydney nodded her head and followed her mother out the door, leaving Jack alone in the study. Irina led Sydney to a large bedroom that had been earmark for her when the house had been purchased and styled. Irina turned to leave but was stopped by Sydney's words.  
  
"Mom, about what happened two years ago, when I thought you had lied again- " Sydney was not able to finish as Irina raised her hand and shook her head.  
  
"It hurt me more than anything to make you believe I was willing to betray you and your father in that way but it needed to be done." Irina paused and placed her palms together, raising them to her lips. "One thing that kept me going was how you handled yourself. Your principles were unwavering Sydney; you made your father and I so proud." The two women stared at each other with weepy smiles adorning their faces. "Get some rest Sweetheart." Irina backed out of the room and shut the door partially.  
  
Sydney wandered around the room appreciatively before falling onto the comfortable bed for a deserved sleep.  
  
STUDY - BRISTOW RESIDENCE  
  
Irina returned down stairs to find Jack seated at his desk, looking through files and computer notes. Without looking up, Jack addressed his wife.  
  
"Thirty years ago Sloane made a trip to the Himalayas; he was very secretive about it. He told me only in case of an emergency at the CIA or home. It was around the same time he arrived home from his trip that his plans to join the Alliance began. He started dropping hints of greater power and good we could be doing. I always assumed that something had happened to Sloane while he was in Nepal that had altered his patriotic views." Irina placed her hand on Jack's shoulder and leaned over him.  
  
"I don't believe Sloane had anything to do with Sydney's disappearance. With no definitive proof you'll have to trust my instincts."  
  
"I not only trust them, I agree with them." Jack wrapped his arm around Irina's waist and sighed. "Do you still have contact with the Nepalese Royal Family?" Jack asked.  
  
"Yes. I'll put in a call later this evening so I don't awaken them." Irina rubbed his neck soothingly.  
  
"Mmmm, if you keep doing that, I'll fall asleep right here."  
  
"How be we go upstairs and have a nap instead. There isn't much we can do before I speak to the palace." Irina kept her voice low and calming.  
  
"A nap? I must really be getting old." Jack joked. "You go up and I'll join you shortly. I should tell our guests where we'll be, before Kendall thinks we have run off on him."  
  
Jack got up and received a passionate kiss from Irina. "Don't be too long." She told him and exited in the direction of the staircase.  
  
Jack raised his eyebrows and dropped his head with a smile. He thanked the fates again for giving him his wife and daughter back before making his way toward the recreation rooms.  
  
Vaughn, Weiss and Dixon were spread around the pool table in the midst of a game. Marshall was preoccupied with the entertainment system and Kendall was seated all alone, pretending to be immersed in a book.  
  
"I didn't know you were interested in Jane Austin, Kendall." Jack said before anyone realized he had entered the room. "I'm sure Irina has few more novels once you finish with that one."  
  
Kendall looked down at the book in his hands as everyone else in the room did. Pursing his lips, he dropped the book on the small table beside him.  
  
"We're sitting here doing nothing while Sloane is free and more dangerous than ever." Kendall stood from his seat in frustration.  
  
"Sometimes you have to be patient in order to get what you want." Jack crossed his arms across his chest.  
  
"Since when are you one to sit back and let things progress? Living in your mansion with your staff has softened you Jack." Kendall tilted his head a fraction.  
  
"No, working with someone as intelligent as my wife has matured my skills." No one in the room was daring enough to enter the conversation which had been reduced to a staring contest.  
  
"Is Sydney still with her mother?" Vaughn asked, finally breaking the silence.  
  
Jack turned his attention from Kendall and answered. "No, Sydney has gone to bed. I am headed there now." He glanced at Kendall again before continuing. "If any of you would like to get some rest I'll show you to the guest rooms."  
  
Everyone in the room agreed that rest would be wonderful and Kendall eventually relented and followed Jack to the second floor. Jack had already shown Kendall and Marshall to their rooms when Irina heard the multiple footsteps and opened her bedroom door.  
  
"Jack, could you please take a look at our room's air conditioning panel. The temperature is not moving despite lowering it considerably." Picking up the annoyance in her voice Jack proceeded into the room quickly.  
  
He left Dixon, Weiss and Vaughn without rooms but Irina managed the situation by showing the former two men to rooms. Vaughn stood in the hallway with only Irina and looking quite confused.  
  
"Sydney is in the room at the end of the hall. Just try not to flaunt the physical aspect of your relationship with Sydney, in front of Jack." Irina smiled at the young man before reentering her own room.  
  
SYDNEY'S ROOM  
  
Vaughn closed the door as quietly as possible but was still met with a whispered call of his name.  
  
"Sorry, I tried not to wake you." He returned softly to Sydney.  
  
"I'm surprised my father isn't keep watch outside my door." Sydney barely had her eyes open but smiled as Vaughn sat on the bed.  
  
"I have a feeling he would be if your mother wasn't keeping him otherwise occupied." Vaughn kissed Sydney's forehead.  
  
"Vaughn, definitely words you do not want to say when you're trying to get me into bed." Sydney made a face.  
  
"I already have you in bed, now I just have to assure you that no one will hear us." He leaned over and kissed her soundly on the lips. Vaughn helped Sydney rise off the bed and allow him room to lay down beside her.  
  
DOWN THE HALL  
  
Irina stood just inside the closed doors when Jack grabbed her from behind and pinned her against the wall tightly.  
  
"You know, had you wanted to tell Vaughn to sleep with our daughter you didn't need a ruse to get me out of the hall." The angered look on Jack's face could not compare with the merriment in his eyes at having Irina cornered.  
  
"I merely pointed him in the right direction. I don't think you have to worry about him hurting Sydney. I don't think Sydney has been sleeping very well and I happen to think Sydney needs company right now. Seeing as she would have been against us staying with her, I figured Vaughn was next best choice." Irina stated sincerely.  
  
"You do know how much I hate it when you use logic, don't you." Jack continued to hold her against the wall.  
  
"You only hate it when it means you're not using logic." Irina pressed a searing kiss against Jack's lips causing his hands to drop their hold on her arms and instead move to her hips.  
  
"You're not playing fair." Jack said when they broke the kiss.  
  
"By any means possible. Those are the rules Jack." Irina kissed him again, this time they both edged closer to the bed.  
  
5 HOURS LATER  
  
The later afternoon had brought with it a damp heat and the rousing of Jack and Irina. Neither had planned on sleeping so late and were quite surprised to find that their guest were all still in their rooms. With nothing pressing to be accomplished the couple decided to relax for the evening.  
  
"Do you really think Sloane is going to give up the location of the device tomorrow?" Irina called to Jack from the master bathroom.  
  
"I trust that if we can make him believe we are committed to the opportunities Rambaldi can provide he will be willing to divulge the information." Jack searched through his drawers. "What are you doing in their?" Jack yelled toward the partially closed door.  
  
"I'm brushing my teeth before I go into the pool." Irina returned. "Would you like to join me for a swim?" She added as an afterthought.  
  
"Yes, should we wake the others up?" Jack moved around the room searching for swimming trunks.  
  
"No, let them sleep a while longer." Irina opened the door and exited the bathroom in a blue and white surf print bikini.  
  
"Why do I always feel as though we're attempting to appear twenty years younger in these cloths.?" Jack commented about Irina suit and his own, blue and yellow matching one.  
  
"Honey, expect me to live by the adage, 'If you've got it flaunt it' until I don't have it anymore. And the training you've done in the last two years has done nothing to hinder your appearance, if I do say so myself." She ran a hand down his more recently toned chest.  
  
"Come on, I think I need to cool off." The two walked out to the pool together.  
  
Marshall woke to slashes coming from the window facing the backyard. He got out of his bed and padded across the room, eager to get a look out the glass. Jack and Irina were on either side in the pool, doing laps. Marshall marveled at their athleticism in the later years of their life. He had never been a good swimmer and wished he could be a graceful in the water as his two hosts.  
  
A knock on the door caused him to jump and spin on the spot. "Co-come in." He cleared his throat.  
  
"Hey Marshall, you going to stay in here all day?" Weiss smiled as he and Dixon walked through the door.  
  
"Um-ah no, I was- I was just going to um- then I saw- and I-" Instead of trying to speak further, Marshall motioned out the window.  
  
"I think Jack and Irina have the right idea." Dixon smiled. "I know the house is air conditioned but it's still hot."  
  
The three watched from two stories above while Irina continued to stay focused on each stroke. Jack had stopped swimming and was carefully watching his wife. Without her awareness, Jack swam beneath the water towards her. Dixon saw what Jack was about to do and smiled further, hoping his friend knew what he was doing. With a startled gasp by Marshall, Irina disappeared under the surface of the water.  
  
Dixon motioned for Weiss to open one of the bedroom windows in order to hear the words that were sure to follow such an action. Before the two could emerge again, Sydney and Vaughn appeared at the door.  
  
"What are we looking at?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Your mother and father were in the pool swimming laps when your father decided to pull your mother under." Weiss recapped for the new arrivals.  
  
"So we're spying on Jack and Irina." Vaughn leaned over Weiss' shoulder to get a better look outside.  
  
"Uh yeah and uh I don't think that your Mom is going to be very happy Syd." Marshall kept glancing between the yard and Sydney.  
  
Eventually the couple broke the surface of the water, both taking a breath of air.  
  
"Jack!" Irina yelled. Her glare was firmly trained on her smiling husband. "That was a bad move."  
  
The two circled each other cautiously. Irina grabbed a hold of the side of the pool still watching him.  
  
"Actually, it was quite fun." Without comment, Irina used the side of the pool to propel her toward Jack and push him under the water with the force.  
  
Watching and listening from Marshall's room, the small group was in awe over the transition the people below had made. Jack was not a free spirited and 'fun' guy, yet his recent behavior told a different story. Irina on the other hand seemed to fit the role as loving wife. The antics in the pool slowed down considerably the stopped altogether.  
  
"Are you getting tired?" Irina taunted her husband from three feet away.  
  
"Of course not. Are you?" He threw back with a smile.  
  
"No. I'm merely concerned for the health of my aging husband." The two continued to tread water, not touching.  
  
"Your concern is touching." Jack said dryly. "However, I was more concern with whether your bikini was going to fall off." His eyebrows rose.  
  
"More concerned with if it was going to fall off or if it wasn't?" Irina lobbed back, matching Jack's expression.  
  
Marshall's eyes went wide in the house while Dixon chuckled lightly. Weiss turned to Vaughn was a look of mock shock on his face but Sydney's face was laughable. It was a cross between a surprised expression and a cringe.  
  
"I think our days as voyeurs are over." She reached to shut the window but was stopped by Weiss' hand.  
  
"It's just getting good." Weiss rolled his eyes. "Sydney, you're thirty years old, you had to have figured out by now that in order to be born you must first be conceived." He paused. "And your parents did recently get remarried, so I suppose they could be considered honeymooners."  
  
Sydney's look became more of a cringe and Dixon and Vaughn had difficulty holding back their laughter. They five realized they had been so preoccupied with their own conversation they had missed Jack's answer. Instead they were greeted by the sight of Sydney's parents kissing quiet passionately in the water.  
  
With no sign of them coming up for air, Weiss suddenly felt compelled to let them know they had an audience. "Your daughter's impressionable young eyes are watching." He called out the window.  
  
The pair didn't break contact but Jack grabbed hold a ball from the side of the pool and throw it in the direction of Weiss' voice. The ball missed his head only because he ducked. Those in the room watched as Jack and Irina maneuvered themselves around one of the pool's corners and was obscured by part of the garden.  
  
"What's going on?" Kendall asked form the other side of the room.  
  
Everyone turned and was quickly to answer nothing. Kendall's eyes narrow and he stalked toward the group. He was met with the sight of an empty courtyard.  
  
"Where are Jack and Irina?" Kendall looked at all the faces.  
  
"I'm not sure. We haven't spoken with them in a while." Vaughn said. He had difficulty keeping a smile from his face at Kendall's perturbed state.  
  
"Uh-um Mr. ah-Bristow, asked if- ah- you would me-meet him in the east po- pool side garden. He said it was important." Marshall began breathing heavily as Kendall scrutinized him.  
  
"Excuse me then." Kendall took one last look at the suspicious group and left the room.  
  
"Did my father ask you to send Kendall out?" Sydney questioned.  
  
"No, but that's where he and uh your mother are right now." Everyone glanced at the part of the pool that was hidden. "Mr. Kendall's reaction should be um- interesting."  
  
"I'm gone for two years and this is what you do to Marshall?" Sydney stares pointedly at Weiss, who pulls a face of innocence.  
  
"You should see what he can do with a yo-yo." Much like rubber-neckers at a car accident, all five turned to the window to watch the events unfold.  
  
Please Review (-;  
  
I have to admit to being a very politically conscious person and with everything going on in the world right now I am having difficulty not using my stories as a political medium. I am using up all my self-control and as certain international figures (not naming names) continue to institute policies I disagree with, I'm finding it harder and harder. But I promise to keep my stories as politically uninvolved as possible. Thank you for reading my rant!!!!!! 


	13. Drama and Hatred

Same Disclaimer Applies: I'm back!!!!!! Well I'm back to writing this fic. I have been writing my new one and it is quite addictive. I hope you've all checked it out. I didn't edit as per my usual habits and I do tend to type quickly so I hope this is readable (just kidding) PLEASE SEND Reviews and ENJOY!!!!!!!!  
  
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO - Bristow Residence  
  
Kendall was dressed in a full suit as he walked around the edge of the pool in order to get to the garden. He was sick of the interaction between Jack and Irina and was fully intending to inform his new superior of the fact. Jack was consorting with the enemy, know matter how many times she tried to prove she had turned a spiritual corner. The delivery of Sloane to the CIA may not even be enough to convince Kendall of Irina's new purpose but he would cross that bridge if it came to that. For now he was determined to talk some sense into Jack and make him see he was being deceived once again.  
  
The heat had already begun to make Kendall sweat but he refused to lose his suit as it was the only armor he had. Kendall walked around a large bush but didn't see Jack anywhere. He was moments away from leaving when movement caught his eye at the corner of the pool.  
  
Standing stalk-still, Kendall took in the sight of Jack and a topless Irina pressed close together against the pool wall. Jack was standing in front of Irina, strategically blocking Kendall's view of her chest. The couple, so consumed with each other, had not yet realized they had an audience.  
  
"I must have done something in a past life that really pissed someone off." Kendall felt his stomach tighten and a headache building behind his eyes.  
  
Irina broke the kiss with Jack and looked at the angry man on the pool deck. She didn't know what to say and found herself desperately trying to hold back a laugh. Jack craned his neck to look at the man, careful not to reveal too much of his wife.  
  
"Can I help you?" Jack's tone was irritated.  
  
"I was told to meet you out here. But it's obvious your priorities don't involve apprehending Sloane." Kendall began backing away.  
  
"Irina and I have already decided on our next course of action and are merely biding our time to put it into action. You're welcome to sit anxiously in wait for Sloane's arrival but my wife and I are going to spend our time more enjoyably. If you have a problem with the way we operate, you are more than welcome to take the first flight back to L.A."  
  
"And miss out on the entertaining production you two put on of a happily married couple?" Kendall's malice was not received kindly.  
  
"Listen to me very carefully." Irina's voice was low and dangerous. "Not only is Jack your superior but this is our home, you will not speak to either of us in such a manner again. Your petty jealousy and bitterness had gone far enough. If you can't handle yourself like a mature adult and work within the chain of command I think you should greatly reevaluate your choice of career."  
  
"This coming from the woman who would kills those who disobeyed her as quickly as she would fire them." Kendall's comment was meant to get a rise out of the two swimmers and his aim was right on.  
  
Irina felt Jack tense instantly against her and make a move toward Kendall. Before he could do more than shift his body weight, Irina's hands clamped down on his biceps to stop him. She shook her head and asked him with her eyes not to move. Her motives served two purposes: the first was to keep Jack from doing something he may regret later and the second was to keep her state of undress covered from Kendall's eyes.  
  
"I suggest you walk away right now Agent Kendall and be sure to steer clear of my path while you're here." Jack said the words with his back to the other man. He waited until he heard the sounds of footsteps retreating along the path before sighing.  
  
"His attitude could end up putting the operation in jeopardy." Irina said grimly.  
  
"I know, I'll have Dixon and Vaughn keep an eye on him." Jack kissed her clavicle.  
  
"Dinner should be ready soon and I still have to call the Nepalese palace." Irina closed her eyes as Jack kissed his way up her neck.  
  
"Is that your way of saying this will have to wait?" Jack sounded less than thrilled.  
  
"Kendall was right about one thing, we do have an operation to carry out and we will need the help of everyone here." Irina watched her own hands stroking her husband's shoulders. "You should probably put in a call to Devlin this evening and update him on our plans."  
  
"I will." Jack assured her. "I love you." He kissed her softly.  
  
"I love you too." Irina smiled then reached to grab her bikini top on the pool deck behind her. "Come on, we're beginning to burn."  
  
Jack discreetly looked to the second story window their audience had previously occupied but found it empty.  
  
NEXT MORNING - BRISTOW RESIDENCE  
  
The atmosphere had become increasingly tense as the evening had turned to night. The anticipated arrival of Sloane had everyone on edge. Dixon, Vaughn, Weiss and Jack had taken refuge in the gym in the early morning, hoping to work off their abundance of energy. Sydney found a book in her parent's library while Irina compiled the information she had garnered from the Nepalese Royalty. They had been quick to supply her with information on a dwelling within the Himalayas that housed a monastery of Tibetan mocks who had fled their homeland with the threat of the Chinese Red Guard's control years before.  
  
By ten Jack and Irina began ushering everyone else upstairs and away from Sloane's eventual presence. Their seclusion came just in time as Sloane's arrival was announced by the front gate guard.  
  
Marshall had set up the intercom system to feed any conversation from the living room upstairs where everyone else could listen. Oovrum answered the door and directed Sloane to the living room where Jack was reviewing the file he and Irina and he had developed on Sydney's disappearance.  
  
"Jack, you work too much for a man with a beautiful wife." Sloane smiled. His attire matched Jack's in casualty. Where Sloane was dressed in a light shirt and linen pants Jack wore a pair of light slacks and blue polo t- shirt.  
  
Jack smiled back at Sloane, slipping into his role of best friend. "I'm afraid the beautiful wife you speak of gets tired of me and sends me off to occupy myself to give her a break." He put down the file and rose from the couch to shake Sloane's hand in greeting.  
  
"Now Jack, Arvin you two wouldn't be speaking about me while I'm not here would you?" Irina floated down the staircase in a low-slung, linen wrap skirt and tight tank top that exposed her taut stomach and toned arms.  
  
"We were indeed but only pleasant things." Sloane leaned over and kissed both Irina's cheeks in greeting. She then moved next to Jack and shared a quick kiss with him  
  
"Your mission in Alger went well?" Sloane sat down and watched his host follow.  
  
"It did. Although we were surprised you waited a day before coming to retrieve the codes." Jack sat with his arm wrapped around Irina's shoulder.  
  
"The closer we get to our goal the more delicate the missions become. In order to avoid any unnecessary attention I wanted to wait to contact up personally. Now that I have, I'm eager to see the codes."  
  
Jack turned to Irina and smiled lovingly. "Sweetheart would you mind getting the disk from the study." Without replying Irina smiled and left the room.  
  
"I'm happy to see you are so contented Jack." Sloane caught Jack's eyes following Irina out of the room. "Is Irina still having trouble sleeping?" He inquired.  
  
Jack was mindful that six other people were listening to the conversation but knew it would do no good if Sloane had an inkling Jack was dancing around the question.  
  
"The nightmares are not as severe as they have been but her worry for Sydney continues to interrupt her sleep."  
  
Irina arrived back in the room with the disk and handed it to Sloane. He opened his laptop and opened the codes. His satisfied grin was enough to put both Jack and Irina at ease. Silently Sloane closed his computer and placed it in his bag.  
  
"I must apologize to both of you." He started. "I've withheld information regarding the location of the assembled Rambaldi device. I hope you can understand it was necessary to determine if you were trustworthy. However the time has come to finally grasp our victory. The device I built almost two years ago was powerless with the codes you have spent the past few months acquiring. When placed in proper sequence the unified code reveals a singular genetic map that powers the machine."  
  
Jack and Irina eagerly listened to Sloane's description. "Once operation the machine grants the ability to regenerate any cells in the body to that of a brand new state." Jack and Irina glanced at each other thinking of Sydney's mysterious liver regeneration, but if the procedure had been used on her the machine was already operational. "The machine is the cure for bacteria, viruses and diseases alike while being able to reproduce bacteria and viruses on the flip side. It is also the key to every lasting life." Sloane paused. "The person with control of the machine would have unfathomable power over the rest of the world, think of the possibilities."  
  
"You will have the power to control who lives and dies." Irina said in awe. Jack heard the fear in her tone while Sloane mistook it for excitement.  
  
"We will." Sloane smiled at the couple. "You have found a great love between you and are being given the opportunity to live together for eternity."  
  
Jack and Irina looked at each other, mouths agape. "If your decision is to use the machine we must leave now. We are still vulnerable until the machine is functioning." Sloane rose from his seat.  
  
"Where is it we have to travel to in order?" Jack stood with Irina as well.  
  
"I took the machine to a secluded monastery almost two years ago. They have been keeping it guarded and safe until I could reclaim it. There is quite a difficult climb through the Himalayas to get there. I would suggest packing for weather cooler than presently outside." Sloane grinned.  
  
"Have you been back to check on the machine?" Irina asked curiously.  
  
"No I have not." Sloane answered.  
  
"How then do you know the machine is safe at the monastery?" Jack turned very serious.  
  
"The man who sent me on the journey to Rambaldi resides in the mountains and is taking good care of it." Doubt nagged at the back of Sloane's mind.  
  
"And you can trust this man?" Irina asked darkly.  
  
"Yes, of course." Sloane's nagging turned to nervousness at his friend's behavior.  
  
"I don't know Arvin, you seem a poor judge of trusting character." Sydney said from the staircase.  
  
Vaughn, Dixon, Weiss, Kendall and even Marshall were standing in front of all the house's exits with weapons drawn and trained on a surprised Sloane.  
  
Please Review (-:  
  
****Really I'm begging for reviews. It's three in the morning and I have to work later today and nothing would make me happier and more likely to write another chapter than lots of reviews in my 'in' box. Love you all and good night----morning? (never did figure out how early morning hours worked. 


	14. The Lion Has Fallen

Same Disclaimer Applies: I really don't think this story is going to be much longer but then again I thought Truth Belongs To Everyone was only going to be 15 chapters and I just finished writing 41 so what do I know. Thanks for all the great reviews and please try to send more if you remember. HOPE YOU LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!  
  
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO - Bristow Residence  
  
"Sydney." Sloane breathed.  
  
"It's over Sloane." She responded.  
  
"Jack, Irina, surely this is a joke." Sloane's face remained mocking.  
  
"I assure you this is no joke." Jack stated.  
  
"You miscalculated Arvin. You gave away your secrets prematurely." Irina added.  
  
"Well, well Irina, you really have become the dutiful housewife; however, your priorities seem to be in disarray. You could have had everything you've ever wanted." He implored with grander.  
  
"I already do." Irina said, glancing from Sydney to Jack. "Sometimes it's the simplest things we over look that give us the most pleasure."  
  
"How trite. You're both giving up the ultimate power, I hope you know that." Sloane swept the room for possible exits but found none. His breathing became labored and his nerves hit overload.  
  
"That power was never yours to give and apparently you did a poor job of keeping to yourself." Jack said harshly.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Sloane's eyes shifted nervously.  
  
"Sydney was taken to the temple in the Himalayas you visited and kept there for two year. Likely by the same man that sent you on your journey for Rambaldi. He used the machine on her and succeeded in rejuvenating her liver." Irina seemed to take great pleasure in telling Sloane of the obvious deception.  
  
"No." Sloane whispered; he looked up at the faces watching him carefully. "I'm not leaving here a prisoner. I'd rather die."  
  
Everyone stared surprised at the broken man before them. He turned suddenly and bolted for the far door. Dixon followed his movements with the gun expertly before firing two rounds. Sloane fell unceremoniously to the ground while Dixon dropped his weapon to his side. Weiss and Vaughn moved to Sloane's and felt for a pulse and weapons.  
  
Vaughn pulled an ankle pistol from Sloane as Weiss announced that he still had a faint heartbeat. Weiss looked up when no one moved. He saw the looks on their faces and slowly moved away from the monster lying awkwardly on the marble floor.  
  
"He'll stain the marble if we leave him." Irina was the one to break the silence. Kendall moved to Sloane and took the role as life seeker. However, when he reached for the jugular this time there was nothing.  
  
Each movement after seem anti-climactic as the giant had been toppled. Agents had been called in and were waiting on standby for Jack's okay to enter the house and take Sloane out. To everyone's astonishment Devlin followed the agents into the house.  
  
"I suppose congratulations are in order Jack." Devlin shook the man's hand while Kendall seethed.  
  
"Irina, you helped in delivering Sloane therefore you immunity agreement has just become active. I'm assuming you'll be returning stateside." Devlin hinted hopefully.  
  
"We're not quite done yet." Irina told Devlin. "We still have to retrieve the Rambaldi machine and ensure it is dismantled. We're also hoping Sydney's disappearance will unravel itself during the retrieval."  
  
"When were you looking to leave?" Devlin asked wearily. He had a feeling the debrief the CIA had ordered was going to be put on hold.  
  
"As soon as possible. If Sloane's death gets out it will make it more difficult to execute our operation." Jack told him.  
  
"Then I suppose I'll see you back at headquarters shortly." Jack and Irina nodded in affirmation. Devlin began walking out of the house but turned back around and raised his eyebrows. "Would it be alright with you both if I took some of my agents home with me, or do you need them all." Irina smiled and Jack shook his head. "Vaughn, Bristow, you two stay, they rest of you need to be debriefed."  
  
"Good luck." Dixon said seriously to the four.  
  
"Yeah, good luck guys and thanks for allowing us to stay." Weiss smiled at them. "It was..fun."  
  
"Um-um- hi, I just wanted to say um- tha-thankyou for letting me stay. I had a-uh-a lovely um time. You're both cooler than I thought- not that you weren't cool before but I um I mean you were always kinda cold and mean" He told Jack. "and um you were dark and scary but now you're um not so-" Marshall stumbled and found himself beginning to sweat.  
  
"We were pleased to have to you Marshall and you're welcome back when ever you'd like. All of you are." Irina said, putting an end to Marshall's ramblings.  
  
The three men left and the four remaining noticed that Kendall had slipped out sometime ago.  
  
"We've got a flight to Nepal in three hours; Devlin has a CIA jet waiting for us." Jack said before they parted ways to prepare for their next mission.  
  
Please Review (-: 


	15. The Sky As Witness

Same Disclaimer Applies: I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter but I really want REVIEWS!!!!! And I'm begging for people to read and review my story Set Me Up. I've got some great ideas for it but not sure if I should continue to write. ENJOY!!!!!!  
  
CIA JET - EN ROUTE NEPAL  
  
The plane seemed even larger with only four passengers on board. Sydney and Vaughn were catching up on a few hours of sleep while Jack and Irina worked out their plan of attack. Neither knew what to expect when encountering the monks but they were sure to be prepared for anything.  
  
"Security measures at the temple?" Irina asked with her elbows resting on the table.  
  
"The location is their primary measure, other than that I expect little in the way of obstacles. We'll have to organize what weapons we're taking." Jack shifted the papers in the file.  
  
Irina opened her mouth and held it for a few seconds, her eyes shifted, before she spoke. "They have no weapons in the temple; it is against their religious vows to wield tools of injury. Out of respect to their culture and religion we should not bring guns."  
  
"Instead we go in defenseless?" Jack looked surprised.  
  
"No, knives would be appropriate for our trek up the mountain. I don't anticipate trouble from most of the people there; they're pacifists Jack." Irina folded her hands.  
  
"That didn't stop them from taking our daughter and holding her against her will for almost two years." Jack set his mouth in a firm line. "You want us to forego our training, walk through the front door and ask for an explanation." Irina smiled at his incredulous tone.  
  
"Sometimes walking through the front door can end up getting you exactly what you want." Irina raised her eyebrows hoping Jack would understand the personal reference.  
  
"These are two completely different scenarios Irina. The enemy isn't turning themselves in this time, we're going after them." Jack said forcefully. Irina flinched at the word enemy but didn't comment.  
  
"We're essentially going in blind Jack; I think it's important that we don't appear to be threatening right off the bat. We don't know why they took Sydney or where the machine is and I intent get answers to both." She stared at Jack defiantly.  
  
"Fine, we'll do it your way for now, but I'm coming with insurance." Jack closed the file.  
  
"Of course you will." Irina smiled at him and leaned in for a soft kiss. When they pulled apart Jack looked seriously at his wife. "What?" She eyed him carefully.  
  
"I was just thinking about what Devlin mention earlier." Jack told her.  
  
"About returning to California." Irina finished.  
  
"We haven't talked about where we would live when everything is over." Jack continued.  
  
"Jack, it will never be over. There is always going to be someone attempting to gain insurmountable power or willing to kill without conscience and the CIA is always going to 'need' your expertise and leadership." Irina told him gently.  
  
"Would you be willing to move back to L.A.?" He questioned with a nervous edge.  
  
"I highly doubt we'll be able to convince Sydney to move to Morocco." She laughed. "Jack, I love you; if you decide that you would like to be back in California, I'm more than happy to accompany you. Just promise me that we'll take some trips to Morocco; I'll miss the house."  
  
"You're sure you'll be happy there?" Jack asked again to be sure.  
  
"I'm positive; I'll find something to occupy my time while you're at work." Irina's smiled turned mischievous.  
  
"Why does that leave me feeling unsettled?" Jack smiled back at her before kissing her again.  
  
As the kiss continued, Sydney and Vaughn were roused from their sleep across the plane. Sydney took one look at her parents and grimaced. She signed and hid her face in Vaughn's shoulder.  
  
"Don't they ever give it a rest?" The words were muffled.  
  
Vaughn smiled down at her. "You'd rather have them at each other's throats?"  
  
"That's a viable option." She looked up. "No matter how much you prepared me for the changes over the past two years, no one could have prepped me enough for my parents. I thought I had lost my mind when I saw them together and it has only gotten more bizarre."  
  
"I'm sure you'll become used to it." Vaughn kissed her head and looked you at the other couple, still engaged in their lip lock. He shook his head in wonder.  
  
"How about you?" Sydney asked; Vaughn seemed confused by the question. "She's still the woman that killed your father Vaughn and now she's been given immunity by the United States government."  
  
"You don't have to play Devil's advocate Sydney. I know who Irina is and I haven't forgotten what she's done." Vaughn sighed. "I'm also not going to forget that she was instrumental in saving or protecting your life on more than one occasion and in bringing Sloane down. I'll take it one day at a time." He attempted a small smile while Sydney shook her had in quiet amazement.  
  
"You're incredible, you know that." She kissed him.  
  
"Come on, we should get up and go over the operation plans.  
  
As the plane touched down in the culture rich country the four passengers gathered their gear and wits before taking the first step of their final journey to truth....  
  
Please Review (-:  
  
If she survives the ordeal in Nepal I'm thinking of having an 'Irina meets Vaughn's mother' scene. But I still haven't decided who will live and who will die. Mmmuuuhahaha. 


	16. Soul In The Valley

Same Disclaimer Applies: I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter but I really want REVIEWS!!!!! And I'm begging for people to read and review my story Set Me Up. I've got some great ideas for it but not sure if I should continue to write. ENJOY!!!!!!  
  
The city of Katmandu was a bizarre twist of old and new world. Aged buildings and temples lined the streets where taxis and motorcycles rode with horns blaring. In the country of strong agricultural economy remained cultural rituals of human sacrifice and virgin worship.  
  
With gear firmly fastened to their bodies Irina, Jack, Vaughn and Sydney followed a guide to the base of the mountain.  
  
"This is as far as I go." The guide told them in Nepalese.  
  
Irina was the one to answer as she was the only one able to speak the language. "Are we to expect any weather changes?"  
  
"The skies are clear but they may change in a few days. I suggest you move quickly." He nodded to the others and gave them four skull beaded necklaces. "They are luck." He said in disjointed English.  
  
"Thank you." Irina indicated the necklaces. "And thank you for your help." She told him in Nepalese and nodded in return.  
  
Sydney and Jack adjusted their packs while Vaughn checked the GPS. Irina donned her necklace, placing it under her shirt and passed one to everyone else. Sydney put hers on without hesitation but Vaughn and Jack looked at them skeptically.  
  
Irina held the beads up for them to see more clearly. "They're Mallas, prayer beads or what some would think of as a rosary. Each skull is carved individually likely from Yak bones. When they're worn around the neck they are referred to as a memento mori or magical protection charm." Irina sighed at the continued looks. "I've seen things that can't be explained; people being protected and healed through charms and herbs. I don't know about you two but I'm not willing to pass up an opportunity of protection."  
  
Jack and Vaughn glanced at each other and rolled their eyes but placed the necklace over their heads regardless.  
  
"I'll take the lead first." Jack announced. The four set off down the ravine, moving briskly in hopes of making it to their destination before the sun set on them.  
  
THREE HOURS LATER  
  
Three quarters of the way to the temple Irina and Sydney announced they were taking a break. Everyone dropped their packs and stretched body parts that had begun to ache. The air was getting thinner as they climbed resulting in a more frequent winded feeling.  
  
"The next part of this climb is going to be more difficult; it's on a steeper incline." Vaughn said between sips of water.  
  
"We've made good time thus far; we'll take it slow." Jack sat down against the rock face.  
  
"The closer we get the more I wish I had a gun on me." Sydney turned to her father.  
  
"Don't look at me; you're mother was the one demanding no weapons that may insult the beliefs of the temple residents." Jack defended himself.  
  
"Jack, I never demanded we not bring weapons. I merely stated my reasoning and you were not able to come up with an apposing argument." Irina goaded him.  
  
Jack set his mouth in a straight line and huffed. "What exactly are you insinuating Irina?" She looked at him innocently. "You know full well that had I argued with you, you would have dug your heals in on the issue until I relented." Jack bit out.  
  
"Why would you have bothered to argue with me when you went ahead and packed explosives as a precaution?" Irina raised her eyebrows. Jack was unable to respond; Irina had known he had packed the C-4 charges but hadn't said anything.  
  
"We may need them." Jack countered finally.  
  
"Let's hope we don't because I removed them before we left." Irina's tone was serious causing Jack to panic for an instant.  
  
He glared at her then opened his bag in desperation. Moments later he stopped searching and sighed. "I love you but you have a twisted sense of humor." Jack turned to his wife.  
  
Sydney and Vaughn were mighty confused by the interaction. They shifted their gaze between her parents with no further understanding. Irina took pity on them and decided to let them in on the conversation.  
  
"I didn't remove the explosives from your father's pack but I admit to not being able to resist the priceless expression of his face when he thought I had." Irina smiled in satisfaction, Jack scowled.  
  
"Do you two often torture each other like this?" Sydney asked, finding her mother's actions humorous in their own right.  
  
"Yes, your mother does it all the time." Jack maintained his angry tone.  
  
"He's right." Irina nodded at Sydney and Vaughn. "I tease and trick him all the time and your poor father is so innocent and defenseless that he never retaliates." She rolled her eyes as she finished her statement.  
  
Vaughn and Sydney smiled, realizing that Jack Bristow definitely gave as good as he got. Theirs was likely an on going game that happened to catch Jack at the receiving end this time.  
  
The two young agents marveled at the differences in their companions two years had brought. They both appeared to be less guarded and tense in the company of others. Their ability to laugh and smile was not comparable to the years before and above all they seemed completely smitten with one another.  
  
Neither Sydney nor Vaughn missed the silent conversations that passed between Jack and Irina or the covert touches they shared. Sydney had timed their actions during the last hour of the trek. Every ten minutes her parents would make contact in some way, almost ensuring the other was still there. The entire scene had been foreign to her but remarkably comforting. She caught herself doing the same with Vaughn.  
  
"It's a breath taking view isn't it." Sydney said in awe. She was perched against a forward sitting bolder allowing her to see for miles.  
  
Vaughn and Jack made noises of agreement but spoke no further. "You're able to see the Katmandu Valley from this spot." Irina pointed to her right.  
  
"I thought Katmandu was the city?" Vaughn asked in confusion.  
  
"It is the city but it was named after the Valley. Legend states that it was once a lake but was emptied when a God made a swath through the surrounding mountains. The land remains extremely fertile making it the place of major agriculture." She paused momentarily before continuing in a low even voice. "People referred to as Newars have lived in this section of Nepal since forth century A.D. and still make up fifty percent of the Valley's population. They were responsible for creating the first Hindu- Buddhist culture and managed to remain completely isolated until 1950."  
  
"How did you come to know all this?" Vaughn asked. Jack said nothing but his expression showed deep understanding for the knowledge his wife held.  
  
Irina kept her gaze locked on the scenery in front of her. "Almost fifteen years ago I came here seeking direction and understanding. I had become disillusioned by Rambaldi's work and was no longer encompassed by my obsession. Growing up in Communist Russia meant having no spirtitual faith, no knowledge of religion or higher meaning for it was outlawed. I was drawn to Nepal by the tourist nature of the capital city but soon found myself being taught the religion of the land by its masters. I spent time in solitude, at the Holy waters of the Baghmati River and studying the teachings of Buddha. I wouldn't consider myself any one religion but I have great respect for Hindus and Buddhists alike."  
  
Sydney and Vaughn were spellbound. They had trouble reconciling the woman spouting spirituality and individual peace with Irina Derevko.  
  
"I'll admit I never expected to hear a story of religious awakening to fall from your lips Mom." Sydney smiled gently.  
  
Irina looked at her daughter over her shoulder and returned the smile. "Haven't you learned yet that anything is possible?"  
  
It was quiet for a while until Jack stood and refastened his pack. "We should continue our hike before we loose any more daylight. Vaughn, you and Sydney take the lead."  
  
Jack stayed back with Irina as they got under way. "I love when you talk about spiritual awakenings and finding higher powers." Jack spoke softly to his wife and grinned.  
  
"Oh really, should I share with them the spiritual grounds and higher powers you helped me reach two nights ago?" Irina smiled indulgently and started to say something else when Sydney tripped in front of her.  
  
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Irina asked reaching for her.  
  
"Syd!" Vaughn called and bent as well.  
  
Sydney wore an obvious grimace on her face making her companions believe she had injured herself. "I'm fine. I just got distracted and miss- stepped." She shook off their offers of help.  
  
"You're sure." Jack watched her carefully for signs of injury.  
  
"Yes, now let's get moving." She started ahead of everyone else and Vaughn had to jog to catch up. Sydney used every calming technique she knew to empty her mind of thoughts and images she'd rather not have. A shiver ran down her spine and her stomach tied itself in knots; children were not supposed to hear their parents talk like that no matter how discreet they were trying to be.  
  
"Syd, you really okay?" Vaughn implored.  
  
"Fine." She answered quickly. Vaughn decided to let it go but kept a close eye on her.  
  
Before any of them noticed they had reach a plateau that housed the temple. They shed the majority of their gear at the far side of the cliff and conversed freely for one final time.  
  
"So, we're just going to walk through the front door." Sydney didn't seem sure.  
  
"Just remember to follow your mother's and my lead." Sydney and Vaughn nodded.  
  
Quick and purposeful steps brought the four to the temple doors. Irina and Jack glanced at each other and opened the heavy barriers to find...  
  
Please Review (-: 


	17. Heart On The Line

Same Disclaimer Applies: I'm really sorry this took so long. I did some research for the last two chapters therefore making it more difficult to update quickly. I promise to update sooner next time but I need to se REVIEWS to make it happen. ENJOY!!!!!!  
  
MONASTERY - HIMALAYAS, NEPAL  
  
Complete and encompassing silence filled the beautifully sculpted hallway. Monks, clothed in red robes wandered around them, not making an inclination to speak or acknowledge their new arrivals. Most heads were tilted down and did not venture a look up; however, a small few would peek at the visitors from beneath heavy eye lids.  
  
Sydney was shocked to realize the building was familiar to her. The scent permeated her consciousness causing her steps to falter. Vaughn grabbed her elbow, hoping to steady and reassure her and received a small smile in thanks. All that remained on their backs were smaller packs that carried only the bare essentials.  
  
The group passed by rooms of people involved in yoga or deep meditation without a word. The further they moved through the halls the greater the feeling of déjà vu became for Sydney. Irina glanced over her shoulder and made eye contact with her daughter, sensing her elevated anxiety level.  
  
"Do you know where you're going?" Jack whispered in Irina's ear.  
  
"Most of the monasteries are built similarly in Nepal. The person we're looking for should reside at the end of the hall on the right." Irina moved gracefully.  
  
"Do you think he'll be willing to hand over the device? He did hold Sydney here against her will." Vaughn whispered from behind them.  
  
Irina stopped at two stained glass doors immediately following Vaughn's question. Instead of answering she opened the doors and stalked into the room.  
  
"Can I be of service to you?" The man asked.  
  
"I believe you can." Irina said smoothly. Jack, Sydney and Vaughn walked through the door to the surprise of the monk.  
  
Noticing his surprise Sydney surmised she had indeed been there before. "I was right; you kept me here for almost two years. Why?" Her voice had risen with each word.  
  
"Please keep your voice down out of respect for the others in the temple." The monk attempted to placate the group. "You were ill when we found you and in grave danger. I brought you back here to help you."  
  
"You found me!" Sydney exclaimed. "You just happened to have flown to another continent and found me unconscious!" Her volume had dropped but the anger remained.  
  
Jack placed his hand on Sydney's arm to calm her down before addressing the monk himself. "Arvin Sloane gave you something to keep for him. I want to know where it is." Jack made sure the man heard the threat in his tone.  
  
"I believe you're speaking of the Rambaldi device Arvin gave to me. Has he now sent you to retrieve it for him?" The man seemed to have regained his composure.  
  
"Sloane is dead." Vaughn stated boldly.  
  
"Well then Sydney, you are now safe." The monk bowed slightly.  
  
"You're using the machine Sloane assembled. But I can't determine what purpose it holds for you. Your training has instilled in you the belief in unity and individual empowerment. What value is Rambaldi to you?" Irina's eyes moved back and forth in thought.  
  
"I am a Shakya; one of the only pure lines left. I have made it my life's work to purify the Buddhist faith. For centuries Tantric Buddhism has become increasingly infused with Hinduism. It will no longer be stood for." The monk moved out from behind the low altar. "This is the site of the Great Stupa of Svayambhunath; it was in this location that the self creation of Buddha occurred; and the path to enlightenment spread throughout Nepal." The monk's eyes grew dark.  
  
"What do you mean by purify?" Vaughn asked despairingly.  
  
"Hinduism has corrupted the faith and must be rid of completely." The man said with force.  
  
"The machine can heal but it can also destroy." Jack realized in a moment of clarity. The monk nodded his head in agreement. "And you intend to purify the faith by means of ethnic cleansing." His statement resulted in the measured surprise from his three companions.  
  
"Sydney has been of much help to our goal, without her the machine would not have worked. Nor would I have been able to test it."  
  
"You tested the machine on my liver." Sydney said and touched her side softly.  
  
"It was a western author that wrote the liver is the seat of the soul but it was an eastern mind that formed the thought. By using the machine on your liver, I was able to rid your body of the toxins that would make it difficult for Buddha to accept you." The monk looked genuinely pleased with himself.  
  
"Buddha is a God of understanding and unity. He does not discard people who seek his wisdom." Irina tried to maintain a tight reign on her anger at the man. "Your understanding appears quite skewed; you are willing to kill millions of people for a God that abhors violence."  
  
"It must be done. The others in the temple believe as I do that a new day will don with the abolishment of Hinduism. Buddha shall rise again." The monk raised his arms in a gesture of power.  
  
"We won't allow that to happen." Vaughn narrowed his eyes in disgust.  
  
"You cannot stop me. I am invulnerable." The man lifted an intricate sword from its mounting no the wall and pointed it at the four invaders.  
  
Misleading Sloane had eventually led to his demise but the two men and women before him would have to be killed quickly for fear of them ruining the temple's carefully laid plans.  
  
The sword was drawn up and caught the glint of the falling sun from the large windows behind. With a gush the sword came plummeting down toward flesh...  
  
Please Review (-:  
  
I'm boycotting without reviews because I'm evil. Yes that's right I'm evil and proud of it. And I don't just want reviews for this story, no that would be too easy, I want reviews for all my stories. Yes that sounds good. Mmmuuuhahaha. 


	18. Blood Of White

Same Disclaimer Applies: This one took a really long time and I'm going away soon so I'll try to write more soon and at least not leave you with a cliff hanger. Thanks for all the reviews and I promise the next update will be quicker. Oh and I didn't edit!!!! Not at all. ENJOY!!!!!!!  
  
MONASTERY - HIMALAYAS, NEPAL  
  
"You cannot stop me. I am invulnerable." The man lifted an intricate sword from its mounting no the wall and pointed it at the four invaders.  
  
Misleading Sloane had eventually led to his demise but the two men and women before him would have to be killed quickly for fear of them ruining the temple's carefully laid plans.  
  
The sword was drawn up and caught the glint of the falling sun from the large windows behind. With a gush the sword came plummeting down toward flesh.  
  
Irina felt the sting of the metal encountered her bicep; the blade so sharp that the cut seemed effortless. Her three companions watched awestruck as the golden brown skin parted, allowing a rush of deep red blood to spill over the edges.  
  
Sydney's leg came in firm contact with the monk's wrist before he had time to raise the sword again. In the same moment Irina's hand moved to press heavily on the wound marring her left arm. She winced at the pain the action caused but refused to allow herself a moan of pain. Jack lunged for the fallen sword and gripped it with seriousness.  
  
"Vaughn, Sydney, go find the machine; it should be close by." Irina ordered while Jack kept the tip of the blade trained on the monk.  
  
The young couple abandoned the room expeditiously in search of the Rambaldi machine. Jack chanced a glance at Irina and found her eyes burning with unrestrained rage at the monk.  
  
"You should never have come. You will not leave here alive." The man's omniscient words were grating on Jack's nerves; he had listen to Sloane utter similar phrase throughout their 'friendship'.  
  
"You've obviously neglected to notice I am now the one holding the sword." Jack's voice held no emotion.  
  
"Why keep Sydney for two years and then let her go?" Irina asked, driving the sense of pain from her mind. Her breathing remained rapid as she felt the burning sensation nipping of the edges of her brain, anticipating their strike.  
  
"Sydney was never supposed to leave the temple. She was to be present for the shift in power but alas her fear and naivety gave her cause to run from those that cared for her. Her soul is tainted once again, Buddha will not accept her therefore she must be eliminated."  
  
"Your misconceptions are so abundant, they don't deserve a response." Irina spit out.  
  
"You have been influenced by the Hindu beliefs. I knew the moment you entered the room but the smell of your blood only reassures me. It is the retched stench of evil." Irina's eyes widened in disbelief at the monk. "I shall take great pleasure sending you piece by piece to the darkness." The monk smiled and Jack's blood reached boiling point  
  
"I realize now how right my wife was when telling us not to bring weapons to the temple. She said it was an insult to the culture but it is obvious she missed seeing me wield a sword." Jack changed his stance to one of impending attack.  
  
"I have already told you I am invincible. You will not be able to hurt me." The monk relaxed his shoulders.  
  
"I'll have to see that to believe it." Jack's words were punctuated by driving the blade through the sternum of the monk. The monk stood motionless, unwilling to defend himself against the danger he faced.  
  
Seconds after Jack had withdrawn the blade, no one moved or spoke. The monk remained stoic and at peace. Slowly, however his hands came up to his chest and pressed lightly to the location the sword had ripped through. His expression became one of wonderment when his hands came away with bright red blood, telling of an artery having been punctured.  
  
"This cannot be." He whispered, falling to his knees.  
  
"You and Sloane were fools to think you could use Rambaldi's works for your own purposes. But you were even greater fools to think Sydney was the key. The machine worked on her only because of her connection to me." Irina hissed. The pain made her accent thick. "I am the one you were searching for. It is my blood that must be used to complete the prophesy and it is my power to wield once it is over." Jack's eyes widened at his wife's words and missed the monk as he sunk lower to the ground and dropped into unconsciousness.  
  
"Irina." Jack breathed. "You knew?" His brow furrowed in a mixture of anger and confusion.  
  
"No. I thought Sydney was the key to Rambaldi's prophecy. That was until he cut my arm open." Irina indicated the monk lying prone on the floor. "The pain is very real but the wound is already beginning to heal itself. That is how I knew I was the one Rambaldi spoke of and how I knew the device was close by. Being in close proximity was enough to power the machine." Irina took her hand away from her upper arm for Jack to see the large slash becoming smaller with each passing second.  
  
"Remarkable." He whispered and ran his fingers over it.  
  
Sydney and Vaughn charged into the room with the device between them. They placed it on the floor near to Jack and Irina. "We have to leave quickly. The people here know what we came for and they're definitely not pleased." Vaughn said with hurried excitement. "There are two snowmobiles at the east side of the temple."  
  
"A little out of place, don't you think." Irina said ironically.  
  
Jack watched in horror as a drop of Irina's blood fell from her bent elbow onto the surface of the machine. Like a mother opening her arms for her child the machine broke apart and lit up with power. Vaughn and Sydney stared at the device in stunned silence while Jack and Irina shared a look of fear between them.  
  
A groan from the fallen monk startled them into tearing their eyes from the machine. He was waking from his unconsciousness and Jack notice the blood had cease to run down his chest; the machine was working without being directed.  
  
"Jack." Irina said cautiously.  
  
"We have to get out of here quickly." He ordered.  
  
Sydney and Vaughn hesitated for only a moment before bolting out the doors, followed by her parents. They ran to the east exit and headed for the snowmobiles parked at the side. A hasty sweep of the vehicle was all they had time to expedite before climbing aboard.  
  
"Dad, that device is dangerous. We can't just leave it here." Sydney yelled at him over the roar of the snowmobile's idling engines.  
  
"Sydney, just get on and leave that to your mother and I. We'll meet you at the bottom." Jack got on his on snowmobile and turn one last time to Vaughn and Sydney on the other. "What ever you two do, don't stop and don't look back. Just head straight down the mountain."  
  
Vaughn and Sydney took off after nodding their understanding at Jack. Irina wrapped her arms tightly around Jack's middle, anticipating the ride.  
  
"We should get as much of a head start as possible." Irina said in his ear making Jack smile. He was continually surprised how sharp his wife could be.  
  
They started to move down the mountain, at top speeds when Irina reached into Jack's front pocket and pulled out a small device. "Now aren't you glad you didn't remove the charges from my bag?" He felt Irina smile against his back that noticeably was missing his pack.  
  
She held the device in both her hands around Jack's waist. "You can gloat about it some other time."  
  
"I love you." Jack said, hoping his words wouldn't get lost in the wind.  
  
Irina kissed the back of his neck and hugged him tight. "I love you too."  
  
"Do it." Jack said sternly and Irina decompressed the trigger on the explosives.  
  
For a moment there was complete silence as though mother-nature wanted the blast to make the greatest impact possible. Then all hell broke loose. The first blast was the loudest and largest but was followed by many smaller ones. The entire temple lit up the darkening sky and lost all structural integrity. Nothing remained of the monastery or of the device nestled inside.  
  
Irina held her breath and waited for the next sounds that were sure to accompany the blast. It seemed the mountain was trying to trick them into a false sense of safety as it took a minute and a half more before the rumbles of an impending avalanche began. The snow began to shift on the top of the mountain and break apart. It's slide started slow but picked up speed with each meter it covered.  
  
Jack and Irina knew there was a great possibility the avalanche may out run them but they were determined to go down fighting it every step of the way. Traveling ninety miles an hour was the best they could do on the snowmobile and with their head start they hoped they would luck out. They knew they had to make it out of the valley and up the smaller hill adjacent to them before they were truly safe but the snow was licking at their heals and their hope began to fade.  
  
Please Review (-:  
  
So long and then I leave it like this. I've said it before and I'll say it again. EVIL!!!! I'm evil. (-; 


	19. Success Is Blinding

**HIMALAYAS, NEPAL**

Irina leaned heavily against Jack, flakes of moving snow tickle the back of her neck. As the snowmobile cleared the valley and began its ascent of the smaller hill, she allowed herself to glance backward. The dense white snow packed the confines of the valley, leaving nothing in its wake.

A smile lit Irina's face at the adventure she had just faced. She tried but failed to stifle her hearty laughter in the wake of exhilaration. Jack felt her shaking behind him and wondered momentarily if she was crying but then felt the outline of her smile against the cooling skin of his neck. He slowed the vehicle as they continued to travel up the smaller hill and over the top. Halfway down the other side, Vaughn and Sydney had parked their snowmobile and waited for her mother and father to clear the avalanche.

Jack stopped beside them and glanced behind him at Irina. She had yet to stop her joyous laughter, succeeding only in igniting her husband's. Sydney and Vaughn caught each other's eyes in confusion, going unnoticed by their two laughing companions.

"What?" Sydney asked finally, finding herself smiling at her parents' enthusiasm.

"Your mother has decided to bring credence to the phrase 'laugh in the face of danger'. And she just went off the deep end but I expected that," Jack continued to smile while Irina pouted.

"I haven't gone off the deep yet. I already promised you that I would take you with me when I do take the plunge." Irina kissed his lips softly and ran her thumb over his mouth.

"Are you ready to get moving? The snow stops at the bottom of this hill, but we should be able to make it into town on foot within the next hour," Vaughn pointed down the hill as he spoke.

"Vaughn is right, we should get moving," Jack agreed.

"There should be a flight to somewhere in Europe tonight as long as we get back to the city before ten," Irina told the group.

"We're expected back in Los Angeles tomorrow night. You and I have a meeting with the director of the CIA to debrief them on the mission and to determine what they expect from us now that Sloane is out of the way." Jack looked to Irina.

"Alright, so let's get moving. I want to make sure we get something to eat before we board the plane." Irina secured the ties on her jacket and brushed some on the snow off her hair.

"For an international criminal of genius intelligence you do most of your thinking with your stomach." Jack smirked in his wife's direction and adjusted the collar on his own coat.

Vaughn and Sydney snorted at the exchange, realizing such interludes were common place. Irina began walking down the rest of the oversized hill while leaving a parting shot, "Mmmm, while I suppose that is an improvement from the lower organ you think with." Jack chuckled at her words and continued after her.

Sydney stared at her parents' retreating backs with a grimace firmly draw over her features. "Are my parents determined to always be abnormal? I don't want to hear that and they're a little too open about their relationship, they should really learn to act their age." Sydney flared her nostrils and stuffed her hands in her coat pockets.

"I think it's pretty funny, to remember where they were two years ago and to listen to them now. They're like completely different people: nice people." Vaughn's half grin mocked Sydney's unease.

"I'm not impressed," Sydney pouted at Vaughn's teasing.

"It's okay Syd, we'll be going our own way once we get back to L.A. They can have their sexually charged conversations in front of the CIA intelligence panels." Vaughn wrapped his arm around Sydney's shoulder and continued to walk down the hill, getting a laugh from her in the process.

* * *

**Location Unknown**

The office was still, with only the hum of the computer as a disturbance. A fair, lanky woman approached the ornate doors carefully, as though her steps would set off a bomb. She knocked and listened for the sound of her boss admitting her entry into the room.

"What do you have for me?" Her boss asked gently. But her tone did nothing to ease the nervousness of the woman.

"Our charge seems to be reacting poorly to the new drug we have her on," she told her boss.

"Can we put her back on the drug we were using before?"

"That would not be advisable. I would like to spend some time looking for alternate sedative cocktails." Her shoulders tensed in anticipation of her boss's answer.

"That would be fine, keep me apprised of the situation." Her boss dropped her head to focus on the files on her desk but pauses and looks up once more to better address the woman in front of her once again, "I would like you to take me to her so I can check her state for myself."

"I will take you to her at once." The fair woman held the door open for her boss and led her to the holding room.

"Leave me. I wish to have a moment alone with our charge," her boss spoke softly.

"She isn't awake; you can't speak to her."

She flinched when her boss's cold eyes flashed with irritation. "I didn't ask for your opinion. Please leave." She left the room, not wanting to make her boss any angrier.

Alone with the prone body on the table, Emily Sloane ran her fingers through her curly hair. She looked down at the woman on the table and pressed a tentative hand to her cheek.

"Are you aware of what is going on around you? Do you dream? I hope you know how valuable you are. Arvin spared your life and soon you will help me accomplish my mission. I know Sydney is your friend but she and her parents were responsible for my husband leaving me. He said it was for my own protection but who was going to protect him? He's dead now you know. They killed him and now they deserve to pay. Don't worry though, I'll take good care of you." Emily gave one last glance at the figure of Francie Calfo before leaving the room and returning to her office.

**END**


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